


Full Circle

by BlackSunMagi



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Aladdin (Magi) - Freeform, Anime, Character Death, Gen, Judal (Magi) - Freeform, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic - Freeform, Manga, Ugo - Freeform, Ugo / Judal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2014-09-22
Packaged: 2018-01-16 15:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1351702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackSunMagi/pseuds/BlackSunMagi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"We meet again....Magi..." A story about death, reflection, and the possibility of second chances.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy all! I'm terrible with titles...and summaries for that matter...but anyway! This will be my first contribution to the Magi fandom, I hope you guys will enjoy it. This particular fic probably won't be very long, two...MAYBE three chapters. I guess it all depends, I don't normally like to set specific chapter numbers...basically it will be as long as it takes to finish the story. But I honestly don't foresee this being super long. 
> 
> My goal with this fic is to primarily test the waters because I have a few other story idea's I really want to do. So any feed back would be greatly appreciated~! 
> 
> Well, that's all for now! Thanks for reading!

The battle had been a fierce one, as both parties expected it would be; one though reveling at the thought while the other had bore a more apprehensive view. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened, it was clear the very moment they first met and each time after. Like two sides of the same coin, constantly at odds with one another, and would remain so until the very end. Well, the end had come and it had dragged in both the innocent and the ambitious. 

Hanging in the air, watching, eyes focused and darting about searching for any sign of movement through the thick cloud of dust, smoke, ash, and steam. It was heavy and took longer to blow away or settle, gnawing on what little patients and nerves still remained. The young Magi, Aladdin, gripped the aged wood of his staff before slowly drifting to the side in hopes that it would grant him a clearer view. The battle with Judal had been difficult, even with how much he had improved. At the very start of the battle, Aladdin knew that what he still lacked compared to his fellow Magi, was that Judal had been trained since infancy...the gap in experience simply was too great. However, it also became clear to the other that one can't rely solely on experience...Judal was strong, terribly, horribly, strong...but that much strength had made him arrogant. 

Coughing as a strong gust of wind whipped the pollution around him, Aladdin brought an arm up to shield his face. His features were littered with the obvious signs of a difficult conflict, scratches and cuts in varying sizes and degrees of severity, countless bruises and abrasions, his clothes were damaged as well and his thick blue hair was a tad messier than usual...though his braid had held it's own and remained bound save for a few stray hairs that broke free. Though, as the cloud began to dissipate, a strangled cry broke the wary silence, forcing Aladdin to call out.

“Alibaba?!” he flew about with more haste, searching out where that noise had come from, “Alibaba, where are you?!” there was another painful cry, though this time there seemed to be a slight whimper at the end before a shaky voice responded.

“A-Aladdin?” the small Magi recognized the voice, it was Alibaba's, it sounded as though it were coming from below...”Aladdin! Down here!” 

Not responding immediately, though a small sigh of relief to hear that his closest friend was at least well enough to answer him, Aladdin descended quickly until his bare feet softly touched the dusty ground. However, before he could go to the older blonde, a hand had reached out and gripped the young boy's shoulder, making him jump back with staff at the ready. The cloud below had mostly blown away by now so when his large blue eyes fell on the familiar form of Sinbad, he lowered his staff and gave the king a wary smile. 

Aladdin and Alibaba had not been the only one's to take part. Knowing full well that just the two of them would not be enough, Sinbad, Ja'far, and Morgiana had accompanied them to the battlefield. All three were present though looked far worse for ware, Judal had dispensed with the adviser and the girl far quicker than either would have liked while insisting that they not interrupt a fight between Magi. It was very similar to the first fight between the two, only on a far grander scale. Alibaba had taken his fair share of hits but had remained adamant about not letting Aladdin fight alone. Sinbad had kept his distance after a few rounds with the fallen Magi, his reasons being his own even now. 

But right now, Aladdin could see that Ja'far was tending to Morgiana. Sinbad had returned his rather strained smile with one of his own. Like so many times, this smile didn't reach his eyes, it was not an honest one. There was no relief or even happiness behind it, a well practiced and perfectly crafted mask the high king, more often than not, wore in his presence. The man was scary in his own rights, despite how goofy he tended to act, but besides all of that, Aladdin turned and ran off in the direction Alibaba's voice had come from. He knew the look Sinbad had given him was all the confirmation he needed to continue what he was doing, that he didn't need to worry about them and to just find Alibaba. Which, as it turned out, he wasn't that much further away.

Alibaba was hovering just a foot or two above the ground, Amon's djinn equip still active, but Aladdin could tell the others magoi was at its limit. Having aided him with his own fire magic, only moments ago the would be king had opted to use his ultimate magic to put an end to their battle. As expected, the equip vanished, forcing the blonde to drop those last few feet to the ground, landing unceremoniously on his backside. He let out an obviously distressed cry of discomfort, before looking up and finding Aladdin already at his side. 

“Aladdin...” he heaved, clearly out of breath as though he'd been holding it the entire time.

“Where's Judal? What happened? Are you hurt Alibaba?” While he had complete faith in Alibaba and his abilities, that didn't stop the growing concern in the young Magi. Alibaba's growing smile had disappeared before it even had time to fully form and in that moment Aladdin saw the full extent of the state his dear friend was in. It made his own injuries seem like nothing. Alibaba was bleeding pretty badly, there were a fair share of slightly gaping holes where icicle spears had managed to pierce him. They had long since melted but the damage had been done none the less. His magoi was depleted to an almost dangerous level, and with these injuries, Alibaba was in no shape to fight anymore...and if Judal is still out there somewhere... “Just rest here, don't worry...” Aladdin said calmly, though inside he was being eaten away with concern, “You were really awesome Alibaba.” 

The bit of praise given had made the other youth chuckle, though cough a second later, “I d-don't know if I really got'm...” he then muttered, “But I definitely hit something...” 

Aladdin could just blink and stare as the other pointed in the general direction he thought the enemy Magi could be. He then turned to see Sinbad and the others coming over before looking back down at Alibaba and nodding. Rather than wait for the others to arrive, Aladdin took off in the direction Alibaba had pointed him in. He had started off running but steadily slowed to a walk, looking over his shoulder a few times to see just how far he'd gone. The dust had completely settled by now, though most of it was carried off when caught by a strong wind current. Aladdin could see now that they were in a large clearing, surrounded mostly by mountain and trees. Much of the landscape though was scared from their battle, tree's up rooted or broken, splintered in half, or even burning. One particular blemish had drawn his attention though, a crater like trail that tore almost painfully into the ground, ending just at the edge of the clearing. It's origin was without a doubt caused by something crashing into the ground and skidding to a stop. 

Following it to its stopping point, Aladdin noticed that there was a large gathering of rukh. He had not really given them much attention until this point, but by now they were hard to ignore...not that he was actually ignoring them. What baffled him the most was the odd mix of both black and white rukh, the black was enough to confirm that Judal would no doubt be at the end of this trail, but the sheer number of white rukh was something else all together. As a Magi, Aladdin knew that Judal didn't exclusively use black rukh, but in all the times he had encountered the other, Aladdin couldn't remember a single time where the white rukh just flocked to the other. Always, he was always surrounded by the black rukh...the signature of those who have fallen into depravity. 

Before long, Aladdin reached his destination, but what he found made him stop dead in his tracks. Laying, partially buried, under a pile of rubble and broken branches was none other than the corrupted Magi Judal. The fact that it was the older Magi wasn't what surprised him though, it was the fact that it looked as if he hadn't even attempted to move from that spot. The rukh fluttered about, some coming to rest around the fallen one before taking off a second later. They were worried, and truth be told, so was Aladdin. Concern was no substitute for caution though, and when dealing with someone as treacherous as Judal, so his guard was up and staff poised and ready to retaliate should the need arise. 

Carefully approaching, the youth was able to get a closer look at the full extent of the damage that had been done. Like his own, Judal's clothes were tattered, though Aladdin suspected that most of the damage had been caused from the final blow and crashing to the ground. As he drew closer, the tense knot that had formed in the pit of his stomach had tightened. Mixed in with the dirt and debris were splatters of blood, to which the sight prompted the young Magi to move with a bit more haste. Soon arriving along side the black haired male's still form. When Judal took no action against Aladdin's approach or even when the boy crouched down to inspect him...Aladdin bit down on his bottom lip. 

There was a large and very deep stab wound in his abdomen, Aladdin didn't have to guess what had caused it. It was just the right size and shape to fit Amon's Sword...so it had been Judal he had heard before, not Alibaba. Everything had happened so fast that time just seemed to blur together. Moving away the broken branches, Aladdin found several more serious injuries. From the looks of them, there were burns of varying degrees and several gashes along his arms, legs, back and front...again, probably from the fall. The only area's that appeared free from harm were his forearms and neck, which had always been adorned with gold; however, both the bangles and neck piece were broken and scattered on the ground. Aladdin couldn't stop himself from wondering how on earth someone as strong as Judal could end up with this much damage. He was though, momentarily reminded of their first meeting, or rather their first fight. Aladdin needed to remember that for all of his power, that didn't make him invincible. Never the less, like before, seeing the other in this state wasn't really what he wanted. Simply put, Judal had to be stopped, but that didn't make the chore any less horrible. 

Aladdin reached his hands out and was about to apply pressure to the stab wound when a flicker of movement was caught out of the corner of his eye. Despite reeling back quickly, a larger hand still managed to capture his forearm. Judal had come to, he was still alive at least but if he wasn't helped soon who knew how long he would last. At that thought, Aladdin stilled. He was honestly thinking about, considering, saving the other. Even after everything he's done, “You shouldn't move around so much,” the boy said with a slight smile, “your wounds are pretty bad.” Aladdin knew that despite all of his vast improvements, water magic was still very difficult for him. Which made it all the more frustrating since water magic was known for it's healing abilities. 

Judal though just let go of Aladdin's arm and attempted a sigh, which only came out as a gurgling cough, “Geez...” he muttered, “don't tell me you're actually worried.” 

“And if I am?” was the blue haired boy's response. 

Looking at him again, having turned his head away for a moment, Judal lifted an eye brow. He couldn't fight back the smirk that pulled at his features no matter how hard he tried, “Ugh, I just knew...hng...you'd be a pain, midget.” His own hand had lifted again, be it rather stiffly, and pressed to the abdominal wound, visibly flinching as he pressed his palm against it. Seeming to dislike the pain this caused, he pulled his now dripping hand away. 

“Th-this is the second time...that useless king of yours...managed to hit me.” Judal grumbled, just staring at the blood before lazily trying to wipe it off.

“I told you, Alibaba isn't useless,” Aladdin stated, “He's stronger than he looks.”

“Clearly...” came the bitter retort, “Should've killed him when I had the chance...”

“I wouldn't have let you,” Aladdin smiled a little more, though it faded when Judal didn't respond, “Hey, we really should get you some help.”

This had drawn Judal's attention back onto the small Magi, he just stared long and hard, crimson eyes narrowed but steadily losing focus. He looked rather indignant, but then looked away again. Truthfully, he was waiting, he would have thought that someone from Al-Thamen would come and retrieve him. Though, the longer he waited the more it became apparent that perhaps nobody was coming. They came for him before, though he wasn't exactly proud of needing to be rescued...and he figured he didn't really ask to be in those cases. Maybe that's what made this time different, he wanted them to swoop in and carry him away to safety. Instead, he was still here...with the midget Magi. 

Maybe it didn't matter now...he'd seen it before, countless times. Judal just sniffed and tried sitting up. Every bone, joint, and muscle in his body cringed and screamed, the pain brought tears to his eyes but he didn't stop. At least not until a pair of small hands came and rested on his shoulders, gently guiding him back down until his head rested on something...soft. Looking up, deep red meeting bright blue eyes, he found his head resting on Aladdin's knees. 

“Oi...wh-what are you doing?” 

Aladdin just smiled that innocently cheery smile of his, that look that always irked the dark haired one, “I already said, you really shouldn't move alright?” the boy replied, “Besides, Sinbad and the others are already on their way over, we're going to get you some help...”

Judal did not look the least bit pleased by this bit of news, he really didn't want to see those people, not now...not like this. He just groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, but opened them a second later when Aladdin softly patted his hair. With a just as battered pride as body, Judal tried to move his head out of the boy's reach, but this failed when the rest of his body protested. He started coughing again, this time tasting the coppery flavor of blood. Aladdin continued to stroke his hair, having even pulled his long braid out from under him...the damn thing never was very comfortable to lay on. Though, much to his growing displeasure, it was in quite a mess...he just sighed.

“Aladdin...” his voice was quiet, almost a hushed whisper, but Aladdin had heard his name none the less. Judal used it so rarely that it was hard to miss either way, “Can you...show me that thing again?” he asked, this time Aladdin had to strain his ears to catch the request. Even then he looked a little confused about what was being asked of him. As soon as it registered though, the boy's eyes saddened just a bit. He had only seen bits and pieces last time, flashes of memory, but he remembered them even now. 

At first though, the young Magi was apprehensive. Judal was a very good...VERY GOOD...actor. Ja'far had accounted many times where the other would feint innocence or sadness to get what he wanted. He'd use other people's good will against them, mock them for wanting to help. Why was this situation any different? But Judal wasn't in any kind of position to do anything though, he could tell by how badly that stomach wound is that it must be very painful. On top of that, if the older Magi could move, he would have done so already...he did have a rather childish temper when it came to actually being hit back. This certainly counted as being hit back...

There was a risk, and on the off chance this was a trick...well, Aladdin couldn't bring himself to turn the other down. He was a Magi too after all, that counted for something...he was also the very first Magi, besides himself, he'd ever met. Sure it was a rather lousy first impression, but the boy wasn't going to deny that he had still learned a lot from Judal. Hard lessons...but lessons none the less. 

“Alright...” he then said, noting how the others shoulders seemed to relax. Closing his eyes, Aladdin called upon Solomon's Wisdom, the emblem glowing upon his forehead as it took hold of both his and Judal's minds. Having done this with a number of people who have cursed their fate, they all had a distinct darkness in common. But Judal was different, here there was only darkness, pitch black with no end in sight. It was terrifying, mindlessly terrifying, Aladdin had half a mind to pull away but immediately decided against it when he found what he was looking for. 

Judal...or at least, it looked like Judal. He was just a child though, a bit younger than Aladdin if he had to guess. The boy was crouching with his arms wrapped tightly around his knees, which were pressed close to his chest. Dressed in ragged clothes, he looked as though he were covered in shadow, a black fog hung around him and hushed whispers could be heard. What they were saying was hard to distinguish but they appeared to be tormenting the child all the same. When Aladdin approached him, the boy looked up. His eyes a deep red, though pink around the edges as though he'd been crying for some time, his lips moved but no sound came from them. Instead, large spikes of ice shot up from the ground around him, forcing Aladdin to jump back quickly, just barely dodging them. 

Now there wasn't a doubt in his mind, that was definitely Judal. Aladdin tried to get close again, but the little Judal brought up more ice. This time, Aladdin was ready, he used a bit of his fire magic and melted away whatever ice was sent his way. 

“Leave me alone!” the tiny voice screamed through the sound of cracking and melting ice. Forcing Aladdin to stop, worried that he might have hurt the other child. Though, upon looking, he saw that the young Judal had risen to his feet, a wild and fearful look in his eyes. 

“I want to help,” Aladdin spoke softly, “I'm Aladdin, I thought that...maybe we could be friends?” if he was going to help Judal turn back onto his path, to honestly free him from all of this and ultimately putting an end to his evil doing, he had to get him to accept the help and realize the truth. 

The boy just glared at him, stepping back each time Aladdin tried to get close, “We can't, you'll just die like everybody else,” he stated bluntly, “I've got powers you know, crazy strong powers! So just go away or you'll be sorry!” 

Aladdin couldn't help but smile a little, it was morbid but he was reminded of the older Judal none the less. Boasting about how strong he was and how strong his allies were. But this did not deter him from his mission, “I'm pretty strong too you know, you won't hurt me,” he said with a grin, “Besides, I think you're powers are really neat!” 

“Huh?” the boy blinked, confused even, the look would have been comical had the situation been different, “Don't lie, nobody's stronger than I am...I'm a Magi you know. Magi are really strong!” 

“Oh? Well that's good! I'm one too!” Despite being pretty much a child too, Aladdin could tell that this young Judal was a lot younger mentally, so he really had to treat him like a kid...like a...little brother perhaps. 

“One what?” Judal glared suspiciously, he had drawn a wand from somewhere, the same one he always used though it looked a lot bigger in the hands of someone so small. 

“A Magi, I'm just like you...” 

That suspicious glare only intensified with the sheer level of disbelief added to it, “You're a terrible liar,” he muttered, “Magi are awesome, you're just a kid...” 

“You're just a kid too,” Aladdin had rubbed the back of his head, “I'm older than you, you know...” he then grinned rather bemusedly, “I bet you've never even touched a girls boobs before~” his tone slightly taunting. However, he got the reaction he was aiming for when the other boy's face turned a noticeable shade of red, his mouth gaping like a fish pulled from the water. 

“S-So what if I haven't?! I'm still stronger than you!” Lashing out, Judal had switched to lightening magic. Not demonstrating the same level of control as his adult counterpart, the bolts of lightening simply shot out in every direction, in fact, the boy wasn't even looking where his attack was going. Simply hoping that it would hit its intended target, though failing to do so. Aladdin had been able to dodge most of them, and the one's he couldn't he had deflected with some concentrated magoi. A feat only capable due to the actual lack in power of the initial spells, it seemed it was mostly just flash and no real impact. 

Still though, it had served as the perfect opportunity to get closer to the younger one. And before the other had the chance to conjure another spell or move away, Aladdin had closed his arms around the small boy. His sudden panic and desperate attempt to free himself was unavoidable, but Aladdin didn't let go, he simply spoke calmly, “You have to stop Judal, you're going to hurt someone...you have hurt people already...”

“So what! They're weak and boring!” the boy struggled viciously, “I have to find the strongest king no matter what!” 

Then, there was cold, cold, stabbing pain and Aladdin found himself being thrown back. A narrow spear of ice had shot up, seemingly from the ground, and caught him right in the shoulder. An eery chuckle filled the darkness as he struggled to break free. The ice itself was easy to break and had actually disintegrated into a flurry of rukh. Sitting up, he saw Judal grinning and laughing, what looked like cloaked figures had appeared. He'd seen them before, hooded so that their faces could not be seen, they were Al-Thamen. 

“You're a funny kid,” even at this age, Judal couldn't help it, messing with people, “I can do whatever I want to do because I'm strong, and I'm going to keep doing what I want.” that grin only grew, “Stupid midget Magi, trying to save someone who doesn't need saving, I should just kill you right now.” 

Aladdin had gotten to his feet gingerly nursing the shoulder wound. While it wasn't an actual physical wound, his body would still register it as one, he'd be hurting when he gets back to his body. But that was the least of his concerns, he had tried and apparently failed. For someone so deeply steeped in depravity, was death really the only way to put a stop to it? Not wanting to believe so, Aladdin's eyes narrowed as he raised his staff. Concentrating, focusing the rukh, he shot them at the shadowy Al-Thamen figures, dispensing them easily and much to the other boy's surprise. Not waiting for the young Judal to recover, Aladdin walked straight up to him and smacked him right across his face. Hitting him just hard enough to actually knock the poor boy off his feet, landing rather gracelessly on the ground, stunned. 

“Wh-what...what the hell! You hit me you brat!” 

Aladdin disapproved of hitting others like this, but he had recalled Alibaba using a similar approach. Having asked the blonde once before why he did this, it had been explained as being a way to knock some sense into someone. It didn't really make much sense until now...or perhaps it had been timed poorly. The blue haired Magi found that his timing was often fifty-fifty in most situations. He was about to give the rather irate looking boy another swat when something pulled at his consciousness. Turning and looking around, confusion growing as he was given another tug. Not knowing what was happening, though it felt as though he was being pulled away now, Aladdin turned to the little Judal.

“What's going on?” the boy asked, “Something's happening...” the panicked look on the small boys face made Aladdin's worry grow that much faster...it hadn't been just him. “H-hey...you're a Magi too right...what's going on?” There was genuine fear in those large red eyes now, he was good but true fear was not something even the most skilled of actors could mimic. Aladdin had reached out a hand but then suddenly pulled it back. 

He was hear to show Judal the truth, and it was now that the truth was revealing itself, he could not help Judal. Not in the way that he wanted at least... “This is the truth,” he then said solemnly, “You cursed your fate, turned against it...you did whatever you wanted because you could and for all of the lying and pain you caused, nobody is here to save you.” 

The look on the other boy's face was as though he'd been slapped again, “You...you can't be serious, I've got powerful allies! They taught me everything! How to be strong!” 

“Strength means nothing, if you have nobody to protect,” Aladdin stated bluntly, “I tried helping you but you did not wish to be saved, if you ask now...how will I know if you're not lying to me?” 

“Don't mess with me! As if I'd ask a know it all brat like you!” then the ground shook, both boy's staggering, it seemed to split as though something were pulling it apart. Everything around them crumbled away until a new scene was brought before them. A vast clearing, distorted by darkness, void of all color and warmth, though hanging high in the sky...a black sun. The ground shook again as the crevice opened further, a cloud of black rukh shooting up into the gray sky before swooping in an curving arch and descend towards a petrified Judal. Letting out a terrible cry, the boy had found just enough strength to turn and run towards Aladdin.

Aladdin though, was already being lifted off the ground, his consciousness was returning to his body but he could see the other chasing after him. No matter how much he wanted to stop what was happening, this was the truth that Judal had to learn...though, to deny a drowning man some form of preservation, even when surrounded by sharks. The saddened Magi used what he could to send at least two of his own rukh to the other, the white little wings fluttering down to meet the terrified child. The last thing Aladdin saw before disappearing entirely were the rukh taking shape of the souls they housed. A man and a woman...he was not able to make out their faces, but he did see Judal's and it was a look of recognition. 

“Aladdin! Aladdin! Wake up!” a voice was shouting, rather loudly too, and made the boy groan slightly. Eyes fluttering open slowly, and gazing vacantly for half a moment up into a blurry face, Aladdin blinked a few times before Alibaba's face came into focus.

“Ali...baba?” the young Magi sat up suddenly, “Oh!” looking around, he was still in the crater but he had been moved. Alibaba was kneeling next to him and looked both distressed and relieved. Looking around further, he saw that Morgiana was standing just behind Alibaba, she looked a little battered but her face...though holding a serious glare, still held an air of equal concern. Sinbad and Ja'far were a few feet away from them, Ja'far standing beside a kneeling Sinbad. Then he remembered.

“Judal...” 

“Wait, you don't look well, you need to rest a moment,” Alibaba had started, but was ignored as Aladdin got to his feet, “Aladdin?” 

Walking over, be it at a rather sluggish pace, Aladdin was greeted by Ja'far, though the wary smile served as good a warning as any. Sinbad didn't appear to hold any of his usual cheeriness, he looked very serious as he turned his head to face the approaching boy. 

“You weren't able to do anything, were you?” he asked.

Aladdin just looked down, the older Magi wasn't moving and already his body was turning black. He then shook his head slowly, “I don't know...I want to think maybe before I was pulled away, but...” 

Sinbad simply nodded, while standing, “Despite his treachery, he was still a Magi, he'll be given a proper send off,” he looked to Aladdin one last time, “We'll find a way to finish Al-Thamen once and for all.” it was a declaration more than a statement, a promise. Ja'far had crouched down, he didn't look thrilled about the idea, but he reached a hand out to lift the remains, only to pull his hands back.

“Sin! Look!” 

As if made of ash, Judal's body broke apart, a gust of wind degrading it further until it blew away entirely, leaving nothing behind. The entire party was left standing their, stunned by what had just happened; unsure even, if what they had witnessed was really the truth. Judal had been so consumed by the darkness, heart, body, and soul, that nothing was left when the end came. It had taken everything...

==

It was so bright...wherever this was, it was bright and the rukh all fluttered about like millions of beautiful, white, butterflies. Feeling as though this place was familiar, these strange little creatures had appeared. Not rukh...round, white, squishy looking creatures...blinking, Judal just stared as they surrounded him and wiggled cheerfully. Wanting to reach a hand out to poke at the nearest one, only a thin white noodle looking appendage came into view. It looked like what those funny creatures had, bringing both into his line of sight, he saw that they were his arms...or what passed for arms regarding these funny things. 

“We meet again...Magi...” a deep voice spoke, warm and welcoming.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, this took a bit longer to write than I thought it would. Sorry about that, I was also working on various plot points so it's not as if I was writer's blocked already xD....honest! But no really, I had to decide on what I was going to do before I could fully finish this chapter, so I hope I made the right decision xD.
> 
> But anyway, let me know what you think!

"We meet again...Magi..."

The voice itself seemed to reverberate off the strangely lit walls, it was warm and welcoming, happy even; however, it's sudden breaking of the thick silence was cause enough to make Judal bristle in surprise. Turning swiftly, a wonder in itself seeing as he apparently didn't actually have legs, just to see who the voice belonged to. Large round eyes fell on an even larger face, it was smiling at him, big and blue and surrounded by many more funny little white things. Were his eyes to grow any larger, they would have ran the risk of falling clean out of his head. Judal had seen his fair share of djinn before, so that wasn't what surprised him the most. It was only seeing the djinn's head and from the looks of him, that's all there was.

"I was hoping though, it would be under better circumstances," the djinn's expression saddened slightly, though just as quickly shifted into a look of mild confusion, "Hm?"

Judal had not moved from the spot he was in, from one perspective the Magi looked as though he was being spoken to by a would be friend he clearly doesn't remember. This view wouldn't be wrong, but his expression suddenly turned to that of recognition. Judal did not recognize the face, but there were only a handful of things he ever fully committed to memory and one of those had been being soundly beaten by a headless djinn. That midgets djinn...no, this one didn't belong to Aladdin, but that wasn't the point. Looking as though he'd just swallowed something disgusting, the now rather amorphous Magi muttered, "Oh...it's you..."

Ugo grinned, "So you do remember," he was met with what he could only assume was a glare from the little squishy blob, it was rather adorable, "Yes, well, anyway...I suppose you're wondering why you're here."

The thought had crossed his mind, Judal scooted back a little before peering, once more, at his strange and new surroundings. It felt familiar, the rukh seemed to flow regularly here, it was calm and peaceful. Normally this would be boring, but considering he was surrounded by funny looking blob creatures and the head that belongs with that annoyingly strong djinn, boring was not the right word he would use for this situation. Regardless, he cared little for where he was exactly, and more so on why he was here. He had died right? Normally when a person dies their rukh return to the great flow, that it joins with all the others. But he had fallen into depravity, and those who have, their rukh isn't supposed to be able to return. Little brows furrowing in further attempts to try and think out the situation, Judal let out a rather frustrated growl. To him it sounded rather vicious; however, to Ugo a rather pleased looking blush had found its way across his cheeks.

"It was your little friend wasn't it? That midget Magi...Aladdin..."

"Hmm, yes, in a way," Ugo replied, "But you're also a Magi, one that's painted in black...it was rather unusual so I brought you here." he glanced towards his little companions and asked them to sit him up straight so he could get a better view of their newest arrival, "After our battle, I tried bringing you here with Aladdin," he explained, "However, something stopped me then so I wasn't able to speak with you at that time." As pleased as he was to now have the opportunity to properly speak with the other, the manner of which he arrived still saddened Ugo. To look at it in a more positive light, he had as much time as he needed to get the answers he was looking for...

Judal in the mean time had only been half listening. He was preoccupying most of his time trying to figure out just how this new body of his worked. Having already established that his wiggly arms were retractable...sort of...he also learned he could move around in a similar manner as one would if they were wrapped in a blanket. What a funny new body this was! However, as entertaining as it was, there was still the matter currently at hand. Looking up at Ugo, Judal didn't look entirely interested in what the other was saying. Truth be told, he really couldn't remember much from then save for the rest of Ugo beating him within an inch of his life. Then he remembered recovering and the various events that followed. What he could not recall was ever being called upon by this djinn. Still, he claimed to want to talk to him about something? What? Why his rukh is black? Even an idiot could answer that. Ah, but what was HIS rukh black...why a Magi, a magician of creation, had fallen into depravity.

"Y'know, most djinn would consider it rude to address a Magi like that..."

"Ah, but you've died, you are now an ex-Magi," the cheerful looking djinn gave as a rebuttal, "So, could you please explain how...as a former Magi, you fell into depravity?"

Judal remained silent, he did not speak for some time; perhaps as a childish way of trying to avoid answering a bothersome question. Though it seemed that his stubbornness was being easily countered by the others equally stubborn persistence. Looking as though he were being cornered, which he was, an exasperated sigh escaped him. Judal had pieced together enough to know that he didn't have anywhere else to go now and unless that organization had discovered how to bring the dead back to life, he was stuck here.

"What's to know?" he then muttered, "I cursed my fate, though in doing so I did become quite powerful."

"Hmmm," the other had frowned slightly, sounding a little disappointed, "No, you just got stronger faster."

"Exactly, that's what I said."

"I think you would have grown to be very strong on your own though," Ugo then said, "Who's to say though, the end result speaks for itself," he then glanced off to the side, as though considering something, "Alright, I have a different question for you then."

"If it's about the midget brat, then you can just skip it." Judal grumbled. He wasn't going to argue with the other about what the could have's, would have's, and should have's of his up bringing, and the fact that Ugo had questioned it the way he did, didn't exactly make the ex-Magi feel all that forthcoming with information.

The djinn just sighed, his question did involve Aladdin, but not in the way Judal was probably thinking. Ugo was certain that the boy was doing fine, he had the rukh there to tell him of the young Magi's progress after all. And unless Aladdin died, he would never be able to speak with the boy again. A sad thought, but he didn't regret any of it. Still though, Aladdin had done something that eased Judal's entry here. He wanted to know what it was. Having sensed what had happened, Ugo had tried bringing Judal here on his own, but something was preventing it. Then, as if sensing his frustration, something happened. It was like trying to uncork a bottle of wine, but the cork wouldn't come loose; only then, to pass it on to someone else who does it with ease.

"He used Solomon's Wisdom on you again, am I correct?" he asked simply.

"Eh? Yeah...so what? I asked him to...thought maybe it would show me how to use it or something." was the ex-Magi's response, though from a third party's perspective it was clear he was lying about at least part of what he'd said. Never the less, Ugo carried on.

"What did you see?"

Judal looked slightly deflated, some of the other little white critters had scuttled over and tried conversing with him in their own little language. The ex-Magi ignored them openly, "Nothing..." he lied again.

"What did you see the first time?"

Again, Judal said nothing, he just chuckled and seemed to roll to the side, "Not that it matters, but that time he had shown me my past," was the delayed response, "it doesn't change anything though."

This time it was Ugo who said nothing. He appeared to be thinking, his usually rather cheery disposition having eased into something akin to concern. After a long moment of silence, he closed his eyes for only a second before opening them once more, "Tell me about it, about your past." he then said calmly. He had a feeling that once that was explained to him, he would be able to understand just what happened to cause a Magi to fall so deeply. He had seen the use of black rukh before, it was known to all the djinn about the Magi who betrayed King Solomon, but even then...that case was very different to this one. Judal's state confused him...

That very being was just looking at him with what appeared to be mild irritation. Judal had grown bored with these questions, what was the point of asking these things now? Being dead and all, it wasn't as if things could be changed. Of course, he had said it before, none of it really mattered, he didn't care. If the question was if he could do it all again, would he do something different? That question was stupid though...if he could do it all again, of course he would choose power. Ah, but the big blue head was still waiting to hear what he had to say. Judal sighed, again...he had all the time in the world now so what harm or good would it do just to give the other the answers he was looking for.

Giving the other one last glare before settling down, Judal yawned, "I was born in a small Eastern village..." he started. It was the same story he had told Sinbad that one time, how his entire village was massacred by Al-Thamen and how they raised him since infancy. None of it was new to him by now, telling the story again only bothered him in the way that a constantly repeated joke would annoy those who have heard it a hundred times. Judal was expecting to see a surprised expression on the djinn, he wanted to see the pity bubble up in his eyes, wanted to see it quickly turn to shock when he laughed at such sentiment. But by the end of his tale, Ugo remained unexpectedly neutral. In fact, he looked as though he had actually fallen asleep, his eyes were closed and his expression was blank...

"Oi...hey..." Judal pressed, but Ugo did not respond, "If you fell asleep I swear I'm not telling you the story again!" after going out of his way to tell his so called gripping life story, only to have the bastard fall asleep, the ex-Magi actually felt a twinge of anger. He'd been annoyed by his predicament, that was a given, and the boredom of coming to terms with the fact that he'd be stuck here for who knew how long was another thing. But to be found boring himself was like being kicked in the face, Judal never was very good at having to taste his own medicine.

Though, his initial assumption had been incorrect. Ugo had heard the whole story and as he had predicted, it had answered more of his questions. It wasn't so much that he had fallen into depravity, it sounded much more like he was born into it. Every sentient being was capable of falling, though it usually occurred as a conscious choice. To go against one's fate is something that was never encouraged and as such it was never really fully studied. So, what would happen if you raised a baby in that kind of environment? Naturally, that would be what the child would come to know, that's not to say that it happens one hundred percent of the time. But to be raised by such a group, it was more an inevitability. It would have been impossible to fully save him from that, but now that he was here...

Finally, after much deliberation, Ugo opened his eyes; however, Judal was not in his designated spot. He had moved and was now much closer, close enough that he was actually poking at his chin with his adorably tiny little arms. Apparently he had grown tired of shouting at him and was now trying to punch him in the face...so to speak. Alas, he was so much easier to handle in this state, actions that would have resulted in many casualties were now positively precious. He had half a mind to simply set aside what he was going to say entirely and just keep the little one there with him. Were he a more selfish being, he probably would have. But he feared that if left to their own devices any longer, Al-Thamen would only grow more dangerous. Or worse, with the loss of their Magi, go after another...the thought that they could target Aladdin had chilled him to the core. And, while Aladdin was more than capable and had many strong and reliable friends, the possibility was still there.

Smiling a little, he used his own makeshift arms to lift Judal up into his would be palm. This way they were level and he could speak more face to face with the little one, "Your fate was cursed from the very beginning, there was nothing anybody could have done," he started off bluntly, noticing how the other had bristled a little, "but when you died, you were brought here instead of fading away entirely, do you know why?"

"Your midget buddy did something weird to me..." the little one stated flatly.

"Hmm," Ugo just gave a bemused half smile, "apparently out of all the deep-seated depravity that existed within you, there was something that gave the rukh reason to think you deserved to come here."

Judal said nothing, his gaze slowly lowered though, "What reason...?" he asked quietly.

Ugo replied with a knowing sigh, "I don't know, perhaps if you told me what Aladdin showed you just before you died, I'd be able to answer that...assuming you don't already know." it was a little sneaky of him, considering he could see the other was clearly on the wall about the subject now. It was interesting to see how Judal responded when not backed by his black rukh, when he had no real powers any more. He was still a brat, but all of his bite had turned into loud barking.

After a moment though, the ex-Magi spoke, "He didn't show me anything at first..." he stated, "He just tried talking, it was annoying so I knocked him around a little," Judal half expected to be squished in the others giant hand again, but Ugo didn't make any such move, "I remember him hitting me after that, it didn't really hurt," it had but he wasn't about to voice that any time soon, "after that, everything sort of turned into a blur. There was running, but it was hard to see, I think I tripped or something because one minute I was looking up at that stupid brat and the next I was on the ground. When I looked up again..." he stopped the first real sign of hesitation showing through.

"When you looked up?" Ugo tried pushing, though he had a feeling he knew where this was going, and hoped it would be the case.

"I saw my parents again..." Judal muttered as though admitting to something embarrassing, "I saw their faces and they were smiling and crying and they looked so...so...happy." a large, wiggly, finger had come up and gently stroked the top of Judal's head. The action had startled away all of the tension that had started to build up in his small body.

"Very good," Ugo praised, "Do you know what that means?"

Again, Judal said nothing, but the look on his face had asked the question without words. What did this mean?

"Their rukh missed you very much, that even though they were gone, they still loved you with all their hearts," Ugo looked positively giddy, "That's probably why Al-Thamen kept you so dependent on black rukh," he grinned a little more, "But this also means that you're not completely lost, so I'm going to grant you a wish."

"Eh? Huh?" Judal just stared, "What are you talking about? I don't get it?"

Expecting as much, but not deterred in the slightest, rather than trying to explain it, Ugo simply said, "It's time for you to sleep," he rubbed Judal's head again, only this time the little one slowly dozed off, "In the end, your parents love saved you from oblivion, cherish this gift of a second chance." Using a bit of magic, he surrounded Judal in a protective orb. Inside, it could be seen that the other was taking on a more human like form. Ugo smiled, and let the orb slowly float up towards the ceiling where the large door to the outside world resided. Lifting his arms up, Ugo spoke the special words, "Open Sesame!"

The large door swung open, allowing the orb to pass through before closing once more. Ugo sighed, hoping that perhaps this time...things would turn out better. Perhaps he was being a little selfish, sending Judal back to the world of the living was only one of several possible alternatives. The others were not important now, but he had specifically chose this path because he hoped that maybe...just maybe, it could help Aladdin. And what better way to throw Al-Thamen off their guard than to turn their own Magi against them...right?

Fate though, had a funny way of doing things its own way, Ugo knew this...but it was a chance he felt had to be taken.


	3. 3.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more like chapter 3.5....a bridge chapter involving events that are important but only in terms of leading into future events...etc...etc... does that even make sense? I don't even...
> 
> But anyway...here you go...OTL

The sky was dark but littered with millions of stars, they flickered with a life like fancy that was hard to turn away from. But where was this? There was a clear night sky, a cool, soft breeze, grass damp with dew...but none of it was familiar. Blinking, crimson red eyes stared blankly into the cosmos for what seemed like an eternity. Though after some time, and when the chill from the grass caused a shudder to rake through every limb. Blinking again, the boy slowly sat up as confusion set in. He had hands, arms, legs, toes, a body...a human body, running his fingers through raven black hair, they paused just behind his head. He was completely bare, exposed to the elements save for what his long hair discretely covered; which turned out to be just half way down his back and chest. He couldn't have been much older than four or five.

"So, you've returned," a gentle voice spoke, drawing the boy's attention, "It would seem that fate is not quite done with you yet."

Turning to face the owner, the young boy found himself staring at a very peculiar looking man. Dressed in green and smiling contently, his soft eyes surveying him with a sort of strange curiosity. He was tall, with long platinum blonde hair tied up in braids, he was dressed in very bizarre, earthy toned, clothes and held in one hand a long, thin, wooden staff entwined in a wispy and leafy vine. In the other hand was a thin blanket.

"Wh-what?" the boy lowered his hands and tilted his head, "Who are you?" his gaze drifted as though something became apparent in that very instant, "Who am...I?" it seemed like something he ought to know and yet who he was, how he came to be here; it wasn't even a blur, it was a big blank.

"Oh?" the man casually walked over and crouched down, he placed the blanket over the boy's shoulders, "How interesting," he said, "I'm Yunan, and your name is..." Yunan paused a moment, he considered what he should tell the boy, "your name is Judal..." he smiled and gave the child a pat on the head, gently ruffling his already slightly tussled hair. The wandering Magi watched the boy's reaction, or in this case, lack of reaction. It looked as though he held little to no connection to the name, as though it were foreign to him.

A sigh passed the Magi's lips before he got to his feet, dusting himself off, he looked down at the other. Judal appeared to have more or less accepted the name and had moved on to looking at his surroundings, "Do you know, how I got here?" he spoke up when the silence between them had reached its limit. And, like before, Yunan considered his choice of words carefully. While fate did seem to still have a plan for the boy, what that plan was exactly escaped him. Then, this was not the first and no doubt not the last time he had seen this sort of thing, Yunan couldn't help but feel that if the wrong thing is said, something bad would happen.

Then there was the strange way the rukh were responding to him. When a Magi died, it was not a rarity for them to be reborn again as a Magi once again. Some even retaining memories of their former lives, Yunan himself being the prime example of that. But Judal had done something Yunan had not seen before. One moment he had vanished from this world, and the next he was simply back again. In this state, that's when something caught his ever watchful eye. It had been shrouded by the boy's hair, and easily missed, crouching back down, Yunan tilted Judal's chin up with the tips of his fingers; an easy task with how complacent the boy was being.

There was a magical item there; a crimson, oval shaped, gem stone embedded in the throat area of his neck. An item often used to mask or suppress the presence of magoi. From the looks of this particular item, it was doing both. A curious discovery, the wondering Magi could only speculate it's purpose. But that wasn't what had drawn him to this spot at this moment. The rukh were drawn here, a common occurrence when a Magi is born. But, upon his arrival the rukh had vanished, save for one or two. Still, returning to the boy's question, smiling a little to show he had not forgotten, Yunan just tilted his head and said, "I'm afraid I don't know," this had prompted a frown from the child, "but why don't you come with me, it's dangerous to be out here on your own."

Judal only stared at the strange Magi, his gaze wondered though a second later. He looked as though he were considering the offer, but after a long stretch of silence, the child pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders as a shiver rippled through him. It was cold and the idea of remaining here like this did not sit well with the young boy. He was a little wary of the man, but there was nobody else around. Judal sighed before looking back towards Yunan, "Okay." an uncertainty in his voice, but resolution on his face. He would go with Yunan, but only because he had nowhere else to go, and nobody to go with.

The boy's answer brought a more honest smile to the light haired Magi's face. He then helped the other to his feet, "Alright, come along."

==

"The Kou Empire's strength and influence has grown exponentially in the last couple of months," Ja'far informed, he had rolled out a map of the known world, "It was assumed that, with the loss of their Magi, their plans would slow down...that is clearly not the case."

A council had been called in response from further requests for aide from Balbadd. Still under Kou rule, the port city has fallen even further into disrepair, the people were starving, what few rights they had were limited at best. Alibaba, Morgiana, and Aladdin had returned there in hopes of being able to help, but there was only so much three people could do. While Alibaba was the rightful king, and had powerful friends, he still did not hold a position that allowed him any kind of real power or influence. There was also the fact that he had remained adamant about Balbadd becoming a republic, but that was not the reason why he had called on Sinbad for help.

Among those attending the meeting, besides Alibaba, Morgiana, and the Seven Sea's Alliance, was the leader of the Fanalis Corp and representative of the Laem Empire Mu, as well as Magnostadt's new Magi, Titus. Ja'far, who held the floor currently, turned his gaze towards Alibaba before sighing, "Also, it has come to our attention that Aladdin has gone missing."

"This isn't the first time he's gone off on his own though," Morgiana commented quietly, "He'll be alright, I'm sure." the young Magi did like to travel, that much everybody knew. But he also wasn't the type to just up and leave for no reason. What they didn't know, and why Morgiana seemed a little distraught over this meeting, was that she knew why Aladdin had gone. He had told her to keep it a secret though, he didn't want Alibaba or the others to worry...or rather, talk him out of it. Of course, in retrospect, perhaps she should have mentioned it sooner.

"You can't know that for sure though," Mu stated, he'd crossed his arms and was giving the girl a very piercing gaze, "Has he contacted any of you? What if he's captured or dead? Though, perhaps a displaced king is incapable of keeping track of his own Magi..." this time he was looking at Alibaba. While he acknowledged the boy's strength, his fickle resolve was down right shameful. Were Aladdin their Magi, he would have been treated as such and protected with the full might of their armies.

Alibaba, who had taken the insult with stride, though he looked ready to leap over the table, just looked away. The man had made a good point, he should have known where Aladdin had gone. No, that's not what bothered him the most, it was the fact that Aladdin hadn't told him where he was going. It was that fact that had lead him to think that maybe he'd been kidnapped or something of the sort. What if the Kou Empire had him? Could they mount a rescue? Between everybody here, they'd be strong enough to take on the invading empire. Of course, with all their might, they could probably rid Balbadd of Kou's influence too...but to rely on them so heavily.

"I think the real reason we're all here, is because Aladdin is our friend..." a new voice suddenly spoke up, "He's done so much for all of us, so sitting around and arguing over who's to blame isn't going to help anyone." Titus, who'd kept silent most of the meeting...mostly because he still wasn't used to his new position, and the fact he was surrounded by so many powerful figures. Still, he had found the perfect opportunity to cut in. Everybody had fallen silent and considered his words. It was true, they were there because they were all worried.

"So," Sinbad, who had also kept to himself, voiced, "the question remains...what should we do?"

==

The last time he had spoken with Kouen Ren had been just after the battle against the imperfect Medium. Since then, the rather scary man, had returned to the Kou Empire. Aladdin still felt as though it may have been a mistake telling that man about Alma Torran, but what was done, was done. In the end things had turned out for the best, they were able to defeat the Medium and Al-Thamen had been thwarted...more or less. However, when the conditions in Balbadd had worsened, the feeling that it was a form of retribution against them for getting in the way, had weighed heavily on the young Magi's mind. In hopes of bringing some relief to the wary citizens; he, Alibaba, and Morgiana had returned to try and speak with Kouen. It was soon discovered, of course, that he was not actually there and that the current governing body were priests of Al-Thamen.

Knowing that confronting them directly was not going to resolve anything, Aladdin left. He left to seek out the first prince, in a last ditch effort to save what was left of the port city. Kouen was an ambitious man, so getting him to hand over the city would be next to impossible. But that ambition also meant that were he given a good reason to perhaps...ease the taxes or allow certain freedoms, then the outlook wasn't so bleak. The trouble was, that Aladdin's search had taken him all the way to the heart of Kou...into the lions den, so to speak.

There was an immensely powerful barrier around the royal palace, something Aladdin wasn't quite skilled enough to break through. This would have been a serious issue had he not been detected by the royal guard. From there, whatever issues he might have had prior to arriving, now meant little in comparison to the one he was having now. Bound and locked away in one of their, no doubt, countless jail cells, Aladdin had taken immediate notice to how the rukh seemed to disappear the further into the jail he was taken. Even his magoi was being drained away, were he not a Magi, he probably would have collapsed by now. The men that brought him here only stayed long enough to shackle him to the wall, but even then they looked as though they were just barely making it. As soon as they were gone, the blue haired boy pulled at the chains that bound his wrists, the distant sounds of wary or dying groans could be heard in neighboring cells. What a terrible place this was...but Kouen would be informed soon enough, he had enough magoi to last so there was nothing to worry about.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To further demonstrate my dorkiness....I whipped up some FC Judal concept doodles. May doodle some more, but anyway...they can be viewed on Deviantart under “BlackSunMagi”.

10 Years Later

Sun hanging high in the sky, the desert sand stretching as far as the eye can see. The only signs of life were the many wagons, mules, horses, and camels that carried a large caravan across the seemingly vast wasteland. Having departed from Qishan only eight days ago, they were making their way to the coastal city of Balbadd to sell and trade their wares. A tricky business now when the most prominent form of currency was printed by the Kou Empire. Never the less, a living had to be made. But selling and trading wasn't all they did, it was common practice to also act as guides and transports for travelers. In this particular case, a young traveler had offered to pay for a ride to Balbadd. 

Lazing in the canvas covered back of the lead wagon, a boy dressed in eastern style clothes looked to be sleeping rather heavily amongst the sacks of cotton and rolls of fine linens. This was evident by the prominent amount of drool soaking into the fabrics. 

“Oi! Brat! Just because yer payin' for a ride don' mean you can drool all over ar' livelihood!” the caravan's leader had come in from the front, he was a large, older man with an overbearing presence. He grabbed the boy by the scruff of the neck, giving him a good shake, “You listenin'? Hey, wake up!” 

“Hmmnng...shut up you old fart,” the boy groaned, waving a hand dismissively, “Eh?” his eyes slowly opened, blinking lethargically in an attempt to will away the sleep still holding them down. The ruby red orbs lifted until they met with the face of the caravan leader, slight confusion written in them, but gradually returning to recognition, “Ah, oh...hey boss!” a bright and mischievous grin split the boy's face, “We almost there?” 

Looking far from amused, the older man sighed though and let go, causing the boy to drop to the floor with a slight thud, “Yeah, we should reach Balbadd in a days time,” he opened the flap that lead to the front, letting in the bright sun and the ungodly heat, “If ya wanna sleep, do it in one o' the passenger wagons. Ain' nobody want to buy wares with yo' drool stains all or' them.” he held no ill will towards the boy, he'd proven to be a rather entertaining guest. But entertaining was not an invitation for him to do as he pleased. 

The boy though just gave him a sour look; from being told off or having his well shaded sleeping space invaded by light and heat, was anybody's guess. Still, he just rubbed the back of his neck before combing his fingers through his long black hair. It was loose and draped over his shoulders and down his back, pooling out a bit against the wood floor. Were someone to only give him a passing glance, they would have easily mistaken him for a girl. An easy enough mistake, but it never failed to irritate him a little. His fingers would periodically catch on a knot, which he'd work out carefully. For as long as he could remember, he always felt the need to take very good care of his hair. Right now he felt a little miserable for having neglected it for as long as he had. Traveling in a desert did not leave much time for hair care. It was brittle to the touch, and days worth of dust, sand, and sweat had the tresses crying out for a good washing. 

In this kind of weather, you were either highly devoted or down right insane to have hair as long as his. Black hair in particular since black retained heat more easily than brighter colors. So, to say the boy was over heating would be an understatement. Never the less, he had smoothed out the long strands enough to fold them into a simple braid. Yunan had taught him how...though the weirdo magician always insisted on doing more, any more than one would have only enhanced his slightly feminine features. Just thinking about the peculiar man made the boy sigh and lean back, letting his newly formed braid hang limply over one shoulder. He didn't have any ties to secure it properly so he tied his actual hair at the end, to keep it from coming loose. It would do in a pinch, but in its condition, this was ultimately damaging to the hair. 

Eight days since he started his journey, but ten years he'd spent either wondering the wilderness or dwelling at the bottom of the great crevasse. Ten long years since he was found by Yunan, the man had told him his name was Judal but even now it didn't feel natural. It was a name he'd grown used to though, it was his name and it was who he was. There was something about it that still didn't sit well with him regardless. But his name was not the reason he'd thought about the wanderer. No, it was the fact that the crazy man had up and disappeared, he left without so much as a word. Left to his own devices, Judal found himself strangely lost. With all that Yunan had taught him, now that he was on his own and in need of utilizing his vast knowledge...again, the boy sighed. 

In hindsight, this abandonment had provided an interesting opportunity. Their relationship felt like it had grown stagnant. Yunan had taught him how to read and write and even how to fight, but whenever he would ask about the fluttering, white, bird things, Yunan would say they were just that...birds. They weren't like any birds he'd seen, other people couldn't see them was one dead give away. Then, when he asked if he could learn magic, again...Yunan was dismissive. Whenever he thought Yunan wasn't looking though, he'd try to teach himself...while most times the spells backfired, he sort of grasped the concept. 

That's when the wagon suddenly lurched to a halt. The horses whinnied and pawed at the sand, the sound of imposing voices could be heard just outside. Out of curiosity, Judal poked his head out to take a peek. They had reached the mouth of a rock formation and standing in front of the caravan was a vast number of rough looking people. The caravan leader had climbed down from his perch and appeared to be speaking with the leader of the band of...could these be thieves? Judal frowned and retreated back into the wagon. This was bad, these people were nice and to be subject to brigands didn't seem fair. There was also the little fact that if they were robbed, the chances of him getting to Balbadd would drop exponentially. Judal wasn't naïve though, this sort of thing happened more and more often nowadays. Still, it didn't feel right to just sit back and do nothing. 

Shifting back to where he'd stashed his travel bag, the boy withdrew a wooden short staff. It was mostly smooth with the top carved into a rounded shape, there was a red stone embedded in the wood. A wand, he'd learned, helped focus magic and made it easier to use. He'd constructed this makeshift wand in hopes that it would help improve his own magic...having never had the chance to use it in a practical exercise, he figured now as as good a time as any. Gripping the body of the staff, Judal took a deep breath. In that moment rukh fluttered about the top of the wand, feeling the crackling of magic beginning to form, he grinned.

Rather than wait for an invitation, the boy slung his bag over one shoulder before jumping from the wagon. Momentarily struck by the heat, though recovering just as quickly, the first thing he noticed was that several of the other caravan residents had stepped out and was looking on nervously. Pushing his way to the front, Judal ordered up some thunder magic...or what he thought would be thunder magic. Before anybody, caravan or thieves, had time to realize what the boy was doing, their hair seemed to stand on end just seconds before a super charged bolt of static struck the ground. Or rather, had backfired and struck the boy who summoned it. 

Having sent up a billow of dust, sand, and debris, it took a moment for everything to settle back down. The leader of the caravan and the presumed leader of the brigands were the first to recover; the large older man looked as though he were about to have kittens, his wagon and most of its wares had been destroyed. It only took a quick scan of the wreckage to locate the source of the destruction. Storming over, he grabbed a very staticy Judal by the back of the neck and hoisted him off the ground. Looking very frazzled, hair sticking up, dust and wool fibers sticking to him, his wand discarded and looking as though it had exploded; Judal just coughed. 

“What in Heaven's name ar' ya doin'!? Lookit'! Ar' ya bloody mad boy?!” while he would never actually harm the boy, there were times when the youth made it very difficult to resist. This was one such case. “Now what am I suppose' ta sell? Hm?” 

“S-sorry boss...” the boy coughed, “Thought I'd buy you some time to escape, those bandits don't look so,” he coughed again, “...tough.” 

A stunned look had replaced the old man's anger, he sighed and shook his head, “Ah boy...” turning as footsteps approached from behind, Judal still in hand, the old man found himself face to face with the other leader. Judal though, took a moment to look over the thief. He was modestly dressed like many of the others, though it was clear by various materials, accessories, and colors that he was held at a higher standard than the others. The entirety of his head and face was wrapped in a turban, save for his eyes. They were narrow from what the boy could make out, and a stunning gilded hue. 

“That was a surprise,” the masked man said in a shockingly amused tone, Judal just stared, “Is everyone alright?” 

“Aye, it depends on what ya mean by alright...” the old man grumbled, “I apologize fo' this brat, he's on his way ta Balbadd.” 

“Oh?” the other man looked towards the now sour looking boy, “and what business would he have in such a place?” 

Judal frowned, his eyes narrowed just slightly, he said nothing though. However, the old man still holding him gave him a little shake, “Oi! That hurt!” the boy growled. This reaction made the younger of the leaders pause. He appeared to be staring more pointedly at Judal, the boy was a bit scrappy but something about him had caught the man by surprise. 

“It's alright, if he doesn't want to tell me then it's fine,” but that wasn't the end of it though, “perhaps, he could tell us his name?” 

Again, Judal didn't say a word. He recalled something Yunan had told him a few months ago. Judal had asked why they didn't visit villages or cities, or rather...why he couldn't visit them. The man had said something about time having not fully healed certain wounds. None of that made any sense at the time, but now when asked for his name...he was reminded of that moment. Did his name have something to do with old wounds? Or rather, did he? That was impossible though, he hadn't done anything to cause such grudges...a few pranks here and there sure. But he got bored easily so he had to entertain himself somehow right? 

“Ah, his name is Judal,” the older male answered suddenly, both the boy and the other man noticeably bristled, “Now boy, why don' you go and help pick up yer mess eh?” he dropped the boy and gave him a playful yet dead serious shove.

The masked man hadn't taken his eyes off the boy though, he just watched as the other got to his feet. Studied the way he picked the wool from his clothes, dusted himself off, even how he tried to settle his hair back down. The boy's eyes though were what caught his attention first, still young, it was all in how he narrowed them that made this new found knowledge all the more surprising. Turning to the old man, “Where did you find him?” he asked quietly. 

“Who? Him?” the old man chuckled, “Found him wanderin' round Qishan lookin' for a guide to Balbadd, why?” he had started picking up what was left of the linens he'd been transporting, most of the wool had blown away or was sticking to those too close to the so called blast site.

“And he didn't tell you why he wanted to go there?” 

“Nope, though honestly, I don't think he knows either...the firs' couple o' days tha' boy didn' say a word,” straightening his back, the old man looked over at Judal, “What are you getting at 'ere? 

“Hmm...I'd like to speak with him, you and your caravan are welcome to spend the night as always,” the younger male stated, “With that damaged wagon, you won't be going anywhere so you may as well rest a while.” 

“Oi, wait...do you know somethin' about that brat? Cause as far as I can tell, he's a good kid...” 

The young man paused and looked at the old leader, he then looked towards Judal who was apparently being scolded by an older woman. He then looked back at his old friend, “I'm not sure, that's why I'd like to speak with him.” and with that, he turned and waved to the others positioned in the rocks. They all had gone on high guard after the explosion but having gotten the all clear, they settled back down. Not waiting for any further instructions, they left their posts and started helping the caravan. 

Several hours later, the sun was just below the horizon. Everybody had found themselves drawn into a festive reunion with old friends. Drinking, music, and dancing carried on and would carry on well into the night. Judal had situated himself away from all the festivities, preferring to hang around the impressive buffet table. There was an assortment of food and drink on display, a lot of it smelled spicy which made the boy's nose wrinkle. He completely ignored any dish that showed signs of vegetable contamination, which eventually lead to the desserts. Fruits and bakery were abundant, as well as foreign sweets. Much to his disappointment, there was a wide assortment of fruits but none of them were peaches. He'd always enjoyed peaches, though he honestly couldn't say what it was about them he liked so much. They did have a way of quenching one's thirst, maybe that was it, it was like food and drink all rolled into one. 

His eye was drawn to some backed pies and cakes though, one of which smelled like... “Oh!”....peaches! Eyes now gleaming, he helped himself to the whole dish and was about to dive in when a hand suddenly grasped his shoulder. Out of surprise, the boy jumped, dropping the peach pie in the process. 

“Damnit!” the curse slipped from his lips before he could stop it, but that wasn't the most important thing on his mind, no it was turning around and giving his attacker a swift kick in the shins. This didn't happen though, as Judal turned the one who had grabbed him had anticipated retaliation and had moved back just out of reach. 

“Sorry,” it was the man from before, the leader of this band of...well, they could still be bandits, “I'll have another one brought over, but first, I'd like to have a word with you.” 

Judal glared, but his stomach growled a second later, lip twitching slightly, the boy crossed his arms and huffed. However, the promise of a replacement peach pie turned out to be a good pacifier, prompting him to grab a dinner roll instead, “Sure, why not...” he shrugged before taking a bite. 

The two excused themselves from the party. The make shift hide out had turned out to be quite an elaborate maze of tunnels. The rocky hills were filled with them, Judal having a terrible sense of direction had found himself lost only a few minutes in. Were it not for the fact that the man guiding him knew these tunnels well, he probably would have never found his way out. Still though, after about five minutes of walking, they reached what appeared to be living chambers. There were several along the walls of the tunnel, but the one they came to clearly belonged to this man. When the curtain covering the doorway was held back for him, Judal just gave the man a suspicious glare before entering. 

After walking to the center of the room, Judal noticed a handful of things. The room itself wasn't overly decorated; there was a simple bed near the back, a desk with documents, books, and pens, as well as a few weapons decorating the carved out walls. One in particular caught his eye, it looked like a dagger...or what was left of a dagger. He turned though, as the man entered just moments after him. 

“So...what did you want to talk about?” 

It was the man's turn to say nothing. Instead, he started to unwrap the turban until the material fell away. Standing before him was a rather handsome man, perhaps in his middle to late twenties. His hair was a golden yellow, about shoulder length but was tied back with a simple hide string. It was neat enough though suffered from what appeared to be a chronic cowlick. He removed a large blade from his belt and set it down off to the side. There was something about this man that set off little flags in the boy's mind. He looked like a puzzle he ought to know the answer to and yet the answer was not there. 

“That was magic you tried using back there, wasn't it?” 

“Yeah, but I wasn't trying to hit the wagon,” Judal replied slowly, though he smirked a second later, “I was trying to hit you.” 

“So, it is you then...Judal,” the man's eyes narrowed dangerously, “After all these years, you came back and now you intend on killing me?” 

That smirk Judal wore faded quickly, confusion spreading across his face quicker than wild fire, “Eh? What? I don't care about you,” Judal stated quickly, “I thought you were going to rob the caravan.” 

The blonde man did not look whole heartedly convinced of this, but he kept a scrutinizing gaze on the boy. Could he be wrong? It's not as though the name Judal was exclusive to that Magi...but it couldn't be coincidence that this boy bares a very striking resemblance. 

“Hey, what did you mean 'after all these years,' I came back?” the boy asked, breaking the other from his thoughts, “Cause I think I'd remember a cowlicked loser.” 

There wasn't a doubt in his mind, this boy was absolutely the Judal he remembered....sort of...he rubbed the back of his head. It hadn't been his original intention to start any kind of fight, or to let his personal feelings run away with him. But as it seems, that's exactly what was happening. So, in spirit of keeping things civil, he sighed and took a seat at his desk.

“You reminded me of someone I knew many years ago,” he answered finally, “He was a Magi,” he looked towards the boy, “Do you know what that is?” 

“A Magi?” Judal tilted his head from side to side, thinking it over, “Hmmm, the old man had given me a book that mentioned that word.” 

“Old man? You mean...” 

“No, I mean the idiot old man,” Judal interrupted, “you know...Yunan.” 

The blonde suddenly shot to his feet, startling Judal once again, “You've met with Yunan?!” 

Leaning away from the other, Judal just eyed him with renewed suspicion. Shifting his weight, he gave a small nod, “Yeah, I was traveling with him pretty much my entire life, up until a few days ago,” the boy took a small step back, “Then he disappeared, so what?” 

Sitting back down, the man looked to have come to some sort of realization. He set those thoughts aside for a moment, “Did he say anything before disappearing?” 

“Nope, hey...who was this person I reminded you of? Did they want to kill you too?” Judal asked, having grown bored of talking about Yunan. 

The other just rubbed his mouth slowly while leaning back in his seat. He glanced off to the side, “Yeah, he did...but he died.” 

“Oh, so then it's obviously not me, besides...you're like...almost an old fart,” Judal grinned, “so this guy would be an old fart too and as you can see...I'm not an old fart like you so whatever you're thinking, it's wrong.” 

It made an odd sort of sense in the man's head, but having spent time around a number of Magi in his life time, expecting things to be normal about them was a notion he had long since put out of his mind. One had lived for over two hundred years, another had died and was reborn nine times, some even came from other worlds...so the idea that this was THAT Judal was still possible. Judal and died, could he have been reborn? If so, was he reborn a Magi? Why would someone like him be reborn at all? This boy didn't know anything apparently...his magic backfired so it's possible he doesn't have the same aptitude for it. That would be ironic. 

“Hey, your brooding is really annoying,” the boy spoke up again, “Besides, here I am telling you all this stuff, but you haven't told me who the hell you are anyway...” 

Turning his cool, golden, eyes onto the demanding boy, the man just stared long and hard at him. He then slowly got to his feet and held out his hand, “I'm Alibaba Salujah, third prince and representative of the Republic of Balbadd.”


	5. Chapter 5

Still standing there in the middle of the room, Judal stared vacantly at the man. So his name was Alibaba? That much he could grasp, where the blonde man lost the boy was right around him mentioning being royalty. The blank look on the boy's face, that gradually turned into a skeptical half-grin, had made the disbelief quite clear. Passing a fleeting glance towards the door, Judal shook his head and crossed his arms.

“Right, last time I checked, Balbadd was a part of the Kou Empire,” the boy stated in a matter-of-fact tone, “Yunan told me about how some idiot tried to fend them off with some nonsense. Clearly the guy had no idea how things worked....” Judal did look back towards Alibaba shortly after, eyeing him with some vague interest. The rukh around this guy was a little distracting, so his drifting gaze had not gone unnoticed.

Alibaba had disregarded the direct stab at him and his method of handling the past, in favor of continuing with his original plan, “That's in the past, what I'd like to know is why you want to head right into such hostile territory.” Did this boy have business with the Kou Empire? He was Judal after all...ah, but he was looked after by Yunan. So far the boy has yet to show signs of his former life, could it really be that...simple? He didn't appear all that different, save for the disinterest in causing war and chaos. 

“I dunno,” was Judal's immediate response, he had started moving around the small room, studying the wall decorations until he paused in front of the weapon display, “I got this feeling that something important was there.” he scanned each item until he finally focused on the broken dagger. It's gold hilt slightly dusty and a good chunk of the blade missing, clearly cracked off. Blinking slowly and lightly itching his cheek, Judal slumped his shoulders and sighed. Perhaps part of him wanted to find Yunan after all. The man was a crybaby and really easy to bully, but there wasn't a doubt in the boy's mind that the man was more powerful than he outwardly let on. After all, who the hell can sprout an entire cabin and furnishings in under an hour? Seriously? The man was on the level...

“You asked me if I knew what a Magi was right?” Judal changed the subject, “I've read about them, they're people who are loved by rukh...ah....” he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “and they're magician's of creation, tasked with selecting a king and raising dungeons.” the way he presented these common facts sounded as though he were reading the definition straight from the book. His head tilted boredly to one side, “I've never met one though, there's like...what...three in the entire world, what are the odds of running into a powerful person like that? Right?” 

“Hmm, no...you've already met one,” Alibaba chimed in thoughtfully, an amused half smile on his face, “Yunan, he's known as the Wandering Magi.” 

Judal stared long and hard at the older male, ruby eyes narrowed with piercing scrutiny. It was almost as if he were trying to see through whatever lie Alibaba was trying to feed him. However, anybody with a face as stupidly honest as that couldn't possibly be lying, “Eh? What?! Seriously?” so, he had been right after all. Yunan was strong, but Magi strong? Yeah, he did have a rather sage like air about him, and the way the rukh....Suddenly Judal's expression darkened. 

“That lying bastard! He knew what those birds were after all! They're rukh!” the few rukh that were fluttering about the room earlier had reappeared. They buzzed about in sync with Judal's tantrum, “No wonder he ran away! The coward! I'll cut his braids off while he sleeps!” he stomped around the room in a fury, the rukh fluttering and zipping about, multiplying slowly. Alibaba had risen his hands in an attempt to calm the boy. 

It had been the first thing he noticed, the rukh responding to the boy's sudden mood shift. While it was still quite amusing to see the other piece together the bigger picture, he didn't want his room trashed or the whole cave system collapsing. Judal had demonstrated some magic, but it was so bad he feared it being unleashed in such a contained space would be catastrophic. Reaching a hand out, the blonde touched the boy's shoulder. 

“Hey, calm down, I'm sure he had his reasons,” Alibaba was more than sure, this Judal clearly had no recollection of his former self; there were only certain types of people who could see rukh – magicians, magi...and well, Sinbad, “Listen, it's been a long evening, why don't we talk more in the morning?” 

Still looking harassed, Judal scoffed. He'd always thought there was something Yunan wasn't telling him, now he knew that he'd thought correctly. Perhaps it tied in with how this Alibaba guy thought he was someone else. Lip jutting out slightly in a pout, the boy sighed heavily, “Fine...”he muttered, “Ah..eh…you,” there was a mildly troubled look in the boy’s eyes, he was struggling with something but didn’t appear willing to admit to it, “don’t forget, you still owe me a pie.” He’d forgotten Alibaba’s name already. 

The blonde in question just sighed and shook his head, smiling slightly he walked over to the door and motioned for Judal to exit, “I’ll see what I can do, for now I’ll show you to your room for the night.” 

The rest of the night was fairly uneventful as far as the dark haired boy was concerned. The sound of festivities carried on outside and in the halls. Noise was never really an issue for Judal, he’d learned quickly to sleep in just about any kind of environment that didn’t directly affect him; riots and stampedes of wild horses wouldn’t wake him unless they were actually trampling him. The only thing he took notice to was the mere lack of peach pie that was promised. An error he would have corrected but decided against. 

Preparing for bed using the same routine he’d learned since childhood, Judal dug through his travel bag; pulling out some sleeping clothes and setting them on the straw cot that had been set up for him. He breathed a small sigh of relief towards the basin of water left to him as well, no doubt provided for face and hand washing. It was utilized as intended, though once he felt his face was clean enough, Judal carefully let his hair down. Combing his fingers meticulously though the raven black strands, there wouldn’t be enough basin water to wash his hair…or so he’d concluded. Scratching at his scalp in disappointment, Judal turned and started undoing his shirt. 

Peeling back the fabric, relieved by its itchy, smelly absence, a bandage was revealed wrapped around his neck. Judal touched it lightly for a moment, considering its removal, but chose to let it remain. Pulling the sleeping shirt over his head, Judal slipped out of his pants and set the clothes off to the side before climbing into bed. He didn’t bother getting under the covers; it had been a hot day so he welcomed the cold night air. For some time, Judal just laid there staring up at the dark ceiling, the room only partly illuminated by the candle provided. It was in moments like this that he was able to sit back and really think about everything that had happened up to this point. Discovering that the man that basically raised him was some kind of all powerful Magi? That alone was a lot to take in, and Judal was none too keen on the fact the man had lied to him. 

On that note, what else had Yunan kept from him? Shifting, Judal turned onto his side and lowered his gaze. None of this really made much sense; Yunan had looked after him since find him in that field. He didn’t have any memories of how he got there or who he was, just Yunan and everything he told him. Putting these pieces together; Yunan being a Magi, Yunan not allowing him to learn magic; or rather, Yunan discouraging the learning of magic, and Yunan mentioning old wounds. One thought that had crossed the boys mind was that maybe, since Yunan was a Magi, he had chosen him to be a king. That idea was squished when he remembered that being a king candidate was reserved for those who had captured a dungeon. 

That man always had an annoying way of doing things, always getting in his way, always telling him what to do and not do. Of course, that never stopped Judal from doing things anyway. There was a disturbing thought…Judal fidgeted and rolled onto his other side, what if…what if Yunan told him not to do certain things as a way to get him to do certain things? The old man was capable of cheap tricks like that…so…what did this mean? What did any of this mean? Was his leaving apart of his getting him to do something? But what? 

Groaning, the boy finally rolled onto his stomach but grimaced when his hair got caught and pulled. Squirming and freeing himself, Judal scooped it into a bunch before situating himself more comfortably and letting it all go. Pressing his face into the…not as soft…fabric of the…not as comfortable…pillow he’d been provided, Judal closed his eyes. He’d think about it more in the morning, right now, sleep sounded better. 

As the morning sun peeked just a sliver above the horizon, Judal could be found sleeping on his side, arms wrapped firmly around his pillow and sleeping clothes all askew. He shifted a little before his eyes slowly opened, blinking and staring blankly at the dried wax mess that used to be his candle. Slowly sitting up and rubbing his eyes, hair sticking up in funny directions, Judal yawned and methodically rolled out of bed. Yet another routine he’d picked up. Waking early, he used the water basin to wash his face, but the itching his head was suffering begged for something more. 

Pulling on his pants from the day before, but retrieving a clean shirt from his bag, Judal departed from his appointed room and wondered out into the open. The air outside was still cool, but the steadily rising sun would warm it soon enough. The grounds still showed signs of the previous night’s merriment, but the boy disregarded it in favor of making his way over to the well near by. Gathering the bucket and letting it drop into the water far below, Judal waited a moment…though it was possible he had fallen back to sleep for a second. It was proven true when he jerked slightly and shook his head before he started to crank the handle, lifting the bucket from the dark depths. 

Bucket heavy with cold water, Judal hoisted it over the side and set it down on the dusty ground. While he would have favored dumping it over his head, he wasn’t physically strong enough to lift it that much…yet. So instead, he pulled his sleeping shirt off and dunked his head into the bucket. The cool rush made him gasp and shiver before quickly pulling back, it felt truly delightful. The water eased the itch in a matter of seconds, though it stung slightly. The boy had been itching his head more frequently lately, so there were probably irritated scratch marks all over his scalp. No matter…this wash would ease the irritation in no time. 

Dunking his head a few more times, Judal moved on to soaking the rest of his hair. Water from the top of his head dripped down onto his shoulders and rolled down his back and chest. The small streams left clean trails across dusty skin, the boy would have killed for a full bath, but this would suffice for the time being. He was not aware; however, that he was being watched. Piercing, sharp, eyes focused on him…watching him…studying his every move as if they held some alternative meaning. And, for just a moment, Judal sensed that scrutinizing gaze on him, forcing him to look around.

“Oh, you’re up early,” the voice had startled Judal, he whirled around, accidentally knocking the bucket over as he shot straight to his feet, “Ah! Hey!” Alibaba had brought his hands up in a failed attempt to shield himself from the water flung at him from the boy’s hair.

“You…” Judal glared, “Were you watching me just now?” his eyes flickered in a chillingly familiar fashion. 

Alibaba though, had lowered his hands and tilted his head in clear confusion, “No, I just got here…why?” his eyes had narrowed a moment later before they darted around. He was searching, he’d gotten a bad feeling…well, truthfully, he’d gotten a bad feeling the moment he laid eyes on this child Judal. He had yet to really fully convince Alibaba that his intensions were innocent, but regardless of what this or the past Judal intended, nothing good ever came in his wake. Like Judal, Alibaba had spent some time after their talk thinking about what all of this really meant. 

The few times he had personally met Yunan, he always seemed to know more than he was letting on. Of course, the would-be-king could never quite figure out what that was, but still…that idea had made finding out that the old Magi had looked after this Judal for several years just begged the question…why? What did he mean to accomplish by this? Did he want to make Judal an ally? That would make current matters easier but…there was no way to really find out if this Judal was really good. 

But, on a more pressing note…if Yunan knew that Judal was reborn, than surely others would know too. They’d sense it right? Of course, the fact that he hadn’t been confronted could mean that they hadn’t…maybe this Judal was just a normal kid who happens to really suck at magic? No, that couldn’t be it…if he was just a normal person what reason would Yunan have to do what he did?

“Oi, stop staring at me like some dirty old man…” 

Judal’s words broke Alibaba from his thoughts and made him stagger, “Wh-what? No! That’s not…” he scoffed and looked away, though he was a little red in the face from the embarrassing accusation, “Never mind, you said someone was watching you right? Did you sense it or…what?” 

Eyes narrowed in suspicion, though gleaming like a cat that’d just found a new toy, Judal considered the question before looking around as well. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t feel it any more… “I dunno, it felt funny…sort of…” what did it feel like? “Familiar…maybe…but not really…” he frowned, “I don’t know how to explain it…it just felt like I was being watched.” 

“Alright, alright,” Alibaba walked over and picked up the toppled bucket, setting it on the ledge of the well, “Why don’t you finish up here and get dressed for now, breakfast should be ready soon so…” Alibaba was not able to finish what he was trying to say before a large explosion threw both himself and Judal back several feet. The heat singeing them slightly before both hit the ground. Judal tumbled a bit before skidding to a stop and Alibaba slamming into a nearby wall before sliding down. 

Both were dazed, though Alibaba was the first to recover. He’d drawn his blade and held it at the ready, eyes darting from one spot to the next in search of where that attack came from. He knew it was an attack; the well was nowhere near anything explosive. Then, the seal on his weapon flashed in warning as Alibaba looked upwards just in time to dodge the second wave. 

“Alibaba~!” a voice called out, “Alibaba, I’ve been looking all over for you!” 

As the dust and smoke started to settle, Judal had recovered enough to hobble to his feet. A little frizzed, and quite irritated, the boy looked around when he sensed it again. Where was it coming from? Judal got his answer far sooner than expected, a hand had come out of seemingly nowhere and grabbed him around the neck. Lifting him easily, he was carried over to where Alibaba was, only getting a clear look at his captor in that moment. 

The man was tall, not exactly bulky but built more out of lean muscle who’s strength could only be felt in the powerful grip he held. He had long blue hair, tied back in a neat braid, which flicked about in the residual wind from the previous attack. His eyes narrow and an even deeper shade of blue, it was like peering into the deepest depths of the ocean. They did gleam though, when he smiled…a gleam that did not fall short of dangerous. 

“Like I said…Alibaba, I’ve been looking for you, and here you are conspiring with the likes of him?” he gave Judal a careless shake, “I thought I’d sensed something strange a few years ago, but it disappeared…guess I was right huh?” 

“Aladdin…” Alibaba had gotten to his feet, “How did…you find this place?” he had Amon’s sword raised and pointed at the other, though Aladdin didn’t seem entirely threatened by it. 

“Hm? Oh? I wasn’t expecting to find you here,” was the others casual reply, “I sensed that funny thing again and came to investigate…” He grinned as he turned Judal to face him properly, “But finding you, of all people…”

Judal had been incapable of speaking, not when he had to spend nearly the entire time just trying to breath. Who was this man? Alibaba had said his name…what was it…Aladdin? This one seemed to recognize him as well but the boy would have remembered someone like him, maybe…but he didn’t. 

“It’s funny, that someone like you would be brought back…and as a Magi again? Seriously?” 

Judal’s stare hardened, his confusion growing, “N-no…not…m-m…” 

“No? Not? What?” Aladdin turned an ear, “Are you saying you’re not a Magi?” 

The boy gave a nod, Magi were magicians of creation, strong, and powerful…he couldn’t even cast a spell without it blowing up in his face. He wasn’t a Magi…

A disinterested frown tugged the corners of the blue haired male’s lips down, though they gradually turned back up into a smirk. Without warning, he threw Judal to the ground before stepping on his stomach, effectively holding the boy down. Judal squirmed and thrashed about attempting to free himself, but froze when a small swarm of black rukh swam across his vision. Black rukh, he had never seen black rukh before and yet the very sight of them made his blood run cold as uncontrollable fear flooded his senses. Why? Why was it black? Why did it scare him? What was happening? 

Judal didn’t register that Aladdin was speaking again until the other stomped on his midsection again, causing him to gasp and cough. 

“Pay attention now…I’ve got something to show you…” Aladdin had said, though the tone in his voice made it clear that it was not going to be something pleasant.


	6. Chapter 6

Coughing, pinned between the ground and Aladdin's foot, Judal stared through squinted eyes up at the other male. It was like deja'vu, but something wasn't quite right...familiar and yet different. Something he could wonder about later, right now the more pressing matter was getting away from this Magi. Everything about the blue haired male screamed something wrong, there was nothing right about him; from the look in his eyes right down to the black rukh.

"...I've got something to show you..."

Judal blinked and in a matter of seconds, he was grateful for his quick reflexes.

"Harharl Infigar"

In a surprising display of cat like reflexes, Judal was able to twist himself out from under Aladdin's foot, seconds before the spell struck. The force of the blast was enough to propel the two far enough apart for the boy to right himself and prepare some sort of actual defense. Aladdin in the mean time had not been expecting such a retaliation so his spell wasn't as concentrated or powerful as it could have been. Alibaba was able to take cover from the surprise attack as well, he didn't think that the fallen Magi would pull such a stunt but this was not the Aladdin he'd once known. Perhaps he was still being foolish in thinking that this time would be different.

Judal, having distanced himself enough was standing on guard, his arms up and ready for whatever blow the blue haired male planned to throw at him next. It had really been a close call, though strangely enough he'd felt it coming. The rukh responded strangely, warning enough to realize that the other intended to attack him again. The young boy still felt as though maybe, just maybe, this Aladdin really did have something to show him. Was this the important thing he was thinking about before? There was no way of telling right now, so Judal quickly tied his messy hair back in a...regrettable...knot, before addressing the recovered Magi.

"You've got a lot of nerve attacking me like that!" he growled, be it sorely since his throat was still a bit tender and his stomach ached from being stomped on, "You may have caught me by surprise but it was stupid of you to think I was completely defenseless..."

"Oh?" Aladdin straightened himself, a grin returning to his face; a gentle, almost playful grin, "You know, I just realized something interesting," both Judal and Alibaba stared at him silently, "if you were really a Magi, you would have been able to create a borg...even if your rukh is sealed..."

Alibaba snapped his head towards Judal, the boy didn't seem particularly phased by this fact. He'd been tossed around with no protection what so ever. Remembering when Aladdin had concealed his rukh in order to hide his identity, he was still able to use some magic and was able to manifest a borg. But Judal, he didn't...could this be the answer then? Was he really not a Magi any more?

The black haired youth raised his hands offensively once more, his eyes narrow and glaring, "The old man never taught me magic," he said in a steady tone, "tried learning it myself but didn't have the aptitude," he then grinned...no, he leered, "But he did teach me how to defend myself against people like you."

A spark of interest flashed in Aladdin's deep blue eyes, he'd been challenged...the boy had guts. Still as petulant as ever, but there was no way, in his current state, that the former Magi had any chance of winning. If he was as powerful as he was back then, maybe...but now he was about as useful as...Aladdin's thoughts were cut short when something collided with his borg. There was enough force behind it to actually send him flying back, slamming into the canyon walls.

Staggering but then straightening himself, Aladdin looked around for his attacker but only found Judal standing where he'd once been, "Wh-what...?"

The boy grinned, "I may not have magic right now, but Yunan said," he brought his hands up again, "I have more than enough magoi to deal with the likes of you..."

\----

How long had it been? Ten years? War and conflict had a nasty habit of making time stretch on but fly by all at once. Communication with the outside was limited, their contacts whittled down over time. Trust was not something that came easy now, friends became enemies; yes, enemies, they were everywhere. It was difficult in these times to know who were really allies and who were not. It was because of this that Sindria had closed its borders for the first time. Having been dealt a number of devastating blows from trusting the wrong people...

It was hard, with so many people outside suffering, begging to be allowed in to the safe walls only to have them shut. Not that this option was any better, in doing so, Sindria had limited their trade resources. While not as bright and exuberant as it once was, Sindria remained strong. Sinbad on the other hand was rarely seen. He kept to his palace, locked away in his study trying to find a way to fix things. The generals did their best to keep the peace and aide in battle planning, but their information was often to old to be of use or wrong all together.

Ja'far was seen swiftly moving through the halls. A paper wrapped tightly in his hands and a very determined look on his face. A look many had not seen on the adviser in some time. He did not stop to answer the bubbling questions in the various passerby's glances. Instead, he made his way with great haste to the war room. A spell had been placed on the door that only allowed specific people to enter, being one such person, Ja'far entered with no ill effect.

"Sin! I just received word from Balbad!"

Looking up from his mountain of scrolls and maps, the wary eyed high king blinked sluggishly. He must have fallen asleep at his desk again, normally it was Ja'far who did this but it was something he had grown used to seeing these days.

Sinbad blinked again, this time completely alert, "From Alibaba?" he asked.

The assassin paused and sighed heavily, "Not directly, but one of our connections," he took note of the look on his king's face before adding, "From Morgiana..." this eased the suspicion somewhat. Alibaba had sent the girl to act as his eyes and ears within the city.

"What does it say?"

"Apparently Aladdin appeared in the city a few days ago and remained there until recently. He disappeared, though she suspects that he was looking for Alibaba and somehow discovered his location..." Ja'far relayed, though he paused. His fingers gripped the parchment and rubbed it in what could almost be considered an uneasy manner.

"Is that all? Is Alibaba alright?" Sinbad could sense there was more, what wasn't Ja'far telling him? It wasn't like his closest friend to keep important matters from him.

"Alibaba's condition is unconfirmed but...there was an unverified bit of information they felt need to pass on..." Ja'far looked terribly serious. His edginess was actually starting to bother Sinbad a bit.

"Stop beating around the bush Ja'far and tell me what it is!"

"A strange boy was sighted at Alibaba's camp, they say he calls himself Judal." Ja'far blurted out. It was at that moment that Sinbad understood, he understood because he could feel the reaction welling up inside him that Ja'far surely knew he would feel.

His eyes had widened slightly, words failed him, and only one question remained on his mind, "How...?" How was it possible? Having been around long enough to know that, regarding Magi, it wasn't impossible. The thing he couldn't wrap his head around was how it happened to Judal. But it was just a rumor right? Unconfirmed information, but if it was true then their problems just got a whole lot worse. Having one fallen Magi was one thing, but two would seriously turn the tides of the war.

"Sin, should we send Alibaba aide?" Ja'far's voice broke through Sinbad's thoughts. It was an important question, one that required an immediate response, but with so little information it was difficult to say. Alibaba could handle Aladdin on his own, or at least long enough for everyone there to escape. But if someone really claiming to be Judal is there, then Alibaba didn't stand a chance alone...There was also the fact that they were already stretched defensively thin, could they risk sending people all the way over there on a rumor?

\----

By now everybody in the secluded camp was aware of Aladdin's presence and knew well enough to flee when instructed to. They were efficient in their method of scattering and ultimately disappearing, it was almost as though this sort of thing was second nature. That their cheerful faces and joy filled voices were merely masks for perpetual vigilance. Alibaba was approached by one of the men, but he ordered him away...instructing him to insure everybody escaped safely. After all, he wanted to see for himself more of what this young Judal had to offer.

It was funny really, how long he and Aladdin had spent in conflict with the once depraved Magi. Now it seems their roles have been reversed, it was truly amazing how the universe seemed to work. What exactly was fate trying to accomplish? That's when a crazy idea hit the blonde, Judal had mentioned that there was something he felt he had to do in Balbadd. What if that something, was saving Aladdin? But that was ridiculous...wasn't it? Alibaba had turned his attention away from the conflicting males for some time, so when he looked to them now the thought remained. Could that be the reason he's here?

All of a sudden, Judal practically flew past Alibaba before bouncing, rolling, and then skidding across the ground. He'd been taught magoi manipulation and was using it in a rather unusual way. Similar to using magoi to strengthen a weapon, Judal had used it on himself. Concentrating his magoi to various parts of his body in order to strengthen them, that's why he was able to break through Aladdin's borg with his bare hands and why he seemed to be able to move a lot faster than normal. An impressive ability in itself but seeing the boy now told Alibaba that the fight was over.

Seeing his chance, while the dust and smoke still masked their presence, Alibaba ran over to the boy and scooped him up off the ground. He was pretty battered, a lot of the damage actually coming from the ability rather than Aladdin directly. Judal was good, but magoi manipulation took it's toll on even the strongest of users. Still, darting off into the caves; Alibaba disappeared, Judal in arm.

Aladdin was left hovering several feet above the ground. His arms dangling at his sides and a rather emotionless look on his face. His eyes though, were narrowed, he blinked...searching...but finding nothing. They had gotten away it seemed. Appearing to have lost interest, the blue haired Magi turned and flew off, back towards Balbadd. The boy had put up a better fight than he had expected, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would be seeing Judal again. But there was no point going after them now...besides, Judal wasn't strong enough...not yet...he knew that boy was a Magi to but what was blocking his powers? Whatever it was, it was getting in the way...


	7. Chapter 7

Everything hurt, every fiber of his being screamed and burned. Not wishing to feel this agony any more than he had to, Judal hung limply in Alibaba's arms. Surely from a spectators' perspective, the fight had been fairly evenly matched, but Judal thought very differently. He was able to surprise the fallen Magi and was able to defend himself yes, but that was about it. Aladdin was a lot stronger, far more powerful than he was. The boy's throat clenched before his body convulsed in a fit of violent coughs. Blood dotting his hands and arms as he tried to shield his mouth. He could feel his eyes burning and stinging with tears as they streamed down his cheeks. What an utterly miserable feeling this was...Yunan had told him this ability was dangerous but he couldn't ever remember a time it left him feeling like this.

Alibaba had come to a stop when he felt the boy trembling. He'd been caring him over his shoulder, much like a sack of potatoes, so he carefully shifted him into a more comfortable position. The sight he was met with stilled his attempt though, quickly opting to set the boy down. The last time the blonde had seen Judal in this kind of condition, he'd died. Judal was battered quite a bit, but what concerned Alibaba the most was how the boy was deathly pale and bleeding from the mouth and eyes. His breathing was ragged as though he were unable to catch his breath. At this rate, the boy might actually die.

'Think of all the trouble he's caused and could cause again...' Alibaba frowned, 'Don't forget who he is, who he allies himself with...he's their puppet no matter how you look at it.' again, Alibaba frowned, but this time his shook his head, 'Let the boy die, that's one less problem you'll have to worry about...better yet, he's weak now, so finish him off...' It disturbed him that these thoughts had surfaced, but they were not unjustified. Judal's presence had lead Aladdin to their hide out, had forced them to abandon a prime location. No doubt Aladdin will fly back to his masters and inform them of Judal's return. That would draw unwanted attention on them. Even though none of these things were directly his fault, Judal was still causing problems.

Crouching down and pressing the back of his hand against the boy's forehead, he found it to be burning up and his skin was clammy. Alibaba shook his head again, "No," he said, more to himself than anybody else, "Killing him would not solve anything," He then used his sleeve to wipe away the slowly drying blood, "Hang on just a bit longer alright?" Alibaba knew where Judal had to go if he was going to be kept out of Al-Thamen's grasp. As he was now, Judal did not appear interested or even aware of what was currently happening. If possible, that meant that he was open to choosing which side...if any...he'd want to fight for. There was still a way to turn things around, and if he could get someone like Judal to join forces with them rather than their enemies, then that was a win.

–

It took about an hour for Alibaba to reach the exit of the escape tunnel, Judal's condition hadn't improved, but at least it hadn't worsened. He was met there by a number of people from the camp as well as Morgiana. She had been on her way back to the camp, worried when one of the others had informed her that Alibaba had not fled right away. When she saw the blonde carrying the barely conscious boy, she immediately rushed over. However, her worried look did not appear directed at Judal, but entirely on Alibaba.

"So, it is true then?" she asked, "He's back..." the Fanalis girl took one look at Judal, ready to tell Alibaba they should just leave him alone, when a rather surprised look crossed her face. She sniffed once, then twice before tilting her head. The boy didn't have the same smell, the Judal she was familiar with smelled like a bad guy, but this one...This Judal kind of smelled like Yunan. Morgiana turned towards Alibaba for answers.

"It's a long story Mor, right now he's in bad shape," Alibaba shifted the boy in his arms carefully, "Is there anyway we can get word to Sinbad?"

"Word has already been received," a woman's voice cut in, Alibaba turned his gaze and met with a familiar pair of blue-gray eyes, "it's been some time Alibaba, it's good to see you again."

"Y-Yamraiha?" the blonde male looked a little stunned but the expression changed to relief and slight confusion, "I mean, it's good to see you as well, how did you know..."

"I sent word that Aladdin was in the area a few days ago," the red head spoke up, "Also that there was a possibility that..." she stared once more at Judal, "he would be at the base camp."

"How did you know though?" Alibaba asked, "He didn't show up until yesterday..." if Aladdin had appeared in Balbadd a few days ago, how could Mor have known that Judal was there when that was just the other day.

"Yunan told me," she stated quickly, though she was suddenly aware that maybe this had been wrong in some way, "Why?"

Alibaba was looking down at Judal; Yunan had looked after him, Yunan had more or less sent him out on his own...possibly even knowing that their paths would cross, and now Yunan apparently made it so that Sinbad would find out about his existence. There was no doubt that the wandering Magi was up to something...but still.

"Nothing, I was just thinking that he would be safest in Sindria..." Alibaba looked up and smiled, "Yamraiha, would you be able to take him back to Sindria with you?"

The female magician had kept out of the conversation for a moment, she had been instructed to varify Judal's presence and if he posed any kind of threat. She had not been whole heartedly expecting to find a child, a very strange child at that. As a genius magician, very little could be hidden from her observation, but this case was proving to be a little more challenging. She knew for a fact that there was no way to completely suppress one's magoi or magic, so seeing this child with almost impossibly low levels of both baffled her. On top of that, he appeared to be suffering symptoms of prolonged magoi use...possibly magoi manipulation. But with level's as low as his that shouldn't even be possible.

"Yes, I think that should be alright, he doesn't appear to be a threat..." she couldn't say with absolute certainty, "but first, tell me how he got like this?"

Alibaba gave a nod, "He was confronted by Aladdin, the two fought..." he looked at the boy in his arms, "I'd never seen magoi manipulation used the way he did, but he was able to keep Aladdin distracted long enough for everybody to escape safely."

"I see..." Yamraiha studied Judal a bit longer before approaching, "what about you Alibaba? Sinbad will surely want to speak with you about this, do you wish to come with us?"

"No, I should stay here," Alibaba shook his head, "We'll need to regroup and set up a new camp, tell Sinbad that I believe Yunan is involved with this in some way," he stopped and gripped Judal just a bit tighter, "I think...tell him I think he was sent here to save Aladdin and to stop Al-Thamen."

Yamraiha's gaze softened as she smiled at Alibaba, "You've really grown up Alibaba," she stated while holding an arm out, "I'll be sure to pass on the message." this had been enough reassurance for Alibaba. He passed Judal over to the woman, who carefully held him in one arm. Judal's head rested on her shoulder, the only visible sign of him still being alive was a moment when he groaned and furrowed his brows in discomfort. Yamraiha then raised her large wand and summoned a magic circle. It was how she arrived so quickly and it would be how she'd return with equal speed.

"Take care Alibaba." she bid farewell, seeing them waving her off before she stepped through the circle. The circle then vanished, leaving Alibaba with a moment to catch his own breath. He staggered back slightly, but Morgiana had caught him.

"Is that what you really think?" she asked, "Aladdin is still our friend, but...do you really think he can be saved after all this time?"

Alibaba said nothing at first, while he had said what he had in the spur of the moment; now that he really, honestly, thought about it. "Yes, Aladdin is in a place we can't get to on our own..." he said solemnly, "But just when I thought that the only way to save him was to kill him...that boy shows up. He's Judal, without a doubt, but like Aladdin...he's not the same as he was before," Alibaba straightened himself and adjusted his clothes, "With him on our side, I truly believe Aladdin can be saved..."

–

"My lady, he has returned," a hooded man spoke, standing before a raised throne, the woman sitting upon it peered down at him with only the faintest of interest, "Aladdin."

Upon hearing the name, a smile formed on her pout lips. Several more hooded men stood just behind the throne shifted, one holding out a long staff for the woman to take when she rose to her feet. Staff in hand, she waved her hand, "Show my dear boy in, won't you." her voice coy, inviting, but neither masking the sinister air her words created. The priest merely bowed his head before turning and motioning for the doors to the throne room to be opened.

As they did, the subtle creaking echoing through the hall, Aladdin entered. He had not stayed in Balbadd for long after his encounter with Judal and Alibaba. There was no point, neither of them were there and so remaining would gain him nothing in the long run. He had returned to the Kou Empire, or rather, to the woman ruling. The bluenette stopped a few feet in front of the throne, just beside the first priest and bowed. There was an empty look in his eye as he spoke, "Your highness..."

The woman's smile grew as she descended the small flight of stairs to ground level, "Oh you naughty boy, running off without telling me," she cooed, stopping and wrapping her arms around Aladdin, "You had me so worried," her head rested on his shoulder, a hand softly moving across his chest, lightly touching the bandages, "won't you tell me where you wondered off to?"

The Magi took no action to this woman's touches, in fact he seemed to ignore them all together. Instead, his gaze lowered just a fraction before wondering off to the side, he was considering his words. However, silence was not a response that went well with this woman so he spoke only after he felt he kept said silence long enough, "Balbadd," he stated, "I wanted a change of scenery." it wasn't exactly a lie. However, his words must have been the wrong ones when the woman backed away, the look in her eye noticeably more livid.

"I needed you here," she said coldly, "what business there could have possibly been more important?" now was not the time to make excuses, or tell only half truths.

Aladdin dared not look her in the eye, instead he lowered himself to one knee and bowed his head, "Lady Gyokuen, I went to investigate a potential threat." it had been a command, he had to answer.

This had eased some of the irritation on the woman's face, she chuckled softly before laughing, "A potential threat? Surely you are joking," she knew this to be false, Aladdin could not joke...not with her, "If you are speaking of that troublesome Saluja boy, I think you are still overestimating his ability. And last time I checked, the singularity has locked himself up behind his city walls...what possible threat could there be?"

Again, Aladdin held the silence for as long as possible, it seemed to strike him oddly that she was not aware yet. What could this possibly mean? No, it mattered not, he would tell her and she would know and that would be the end of things. Lifting his dark blue eyes just enough to peer at her partially covered shoes, the fallen Magi replied, "Judal..."

For the first time in a very long time, Gyokuen Ren's eyes grew in genuine surprise. However, they quickly narrowed and darkened, "That useless boy is dead, he is no threat." she stated, her voice icy. Ever since their failure with the black djinn in Balbadd, Judal had grown obstinate, more so than usual. He had been her favorite toy, a truly blackened Magi, a magnificent tool that helped spread their darkness over the world. Ironically enough, Aladdin had been the cause of his disobedience and now he was her new plaything.

She had been fully aware of Judal's death, both in life and death he caused her problems. Still, it had been a terrible loss for them. However, when Aladdin seemed to frown slightly at her words, the Empress lifted an eyebrow. As a Magi herself, she considered the others words a little more carefully, he would not lie to her. He was incapable of it, so thinking further...could that boy have been reborn?

Aladdin had slowly lifted his gaze further until they locked onto his masters. In that instant, he knew exactly what the woman was thinking. The gleam in her eyes spoke volumes as she approached once more and held her arms outstretched. An inviting gesture he was conditioned to respond to, and he did. Stretching out his own arms, he allowed her put hers around him and his around her. The embrace stirred the black rukh that dwelled within until Aladdin's vision went blank.

–

There was nothing but stunned silence, Yamraiha had returned to Sindria with Judal in arm to a gathering of the Eight Generals and Sinbad. The all stood, no words shared between them as they gathered around the unconscious boy. Yamraiha had brought Judal to the medical ward where she had begun treatment for his poor condition, the others had arrived not long after.

"It really is him, isn't it..." Ja'far was the first to speak, he stared down at the boy with wary uncertainty, part of him hoping that they had just been rumors. Sinbad was next, though he didn't allow for the others to have their turn. He instructed them to leave the room and that he would provide them with answers as soon as they were available.

"You said that Alibaba believes Yunan is involved?" the king tried confirming, "just how long has he been back without our knowing?"

"He did say that, but as far as how long...he appears to be at least fourteen...maybe a little younger, but not more than a year older." the woman replied, "It's rather strange though, with his level of magoi, he shouldn't even be alive."

"What do you mean?" Ja'far inquired this time, though it was clear that Sinbad wished to know as well.

Yamraiha just looked at the boy, she then reached a hand out and carefully undid the bandages around his neck, "I found this, just before you all arrived," she revealed the imbedded gemstone, "I believe it's a magical item similar to the one that can suppress magoi to a certain degree." she tried touching it directly but had to pull her hand back when a few rukh had formed and shocked her. It wasn't a powerful shock, more like static, but it was strong enough to work as a warning.

"The rukh will not allow me to remove it to confirm my theory," she then said with a sigh, "It's unlike anything I've ever seen, but it's what's keeping him alive and hiding his presence."

"But Aladdin had sensed his return right? And Yunan...as Magi themselves could this also be applied to all the others?" Sinbad wondered out loud. If that was the case than it was safe to assume that Al-Thamen knew Judal was alive as well. Would they come after him?

"That's why Alibaba thought he would be safest here," Yamraiha placed a hand on Judal's forehead and then his cheeks, "He thinks that this boy can stop them and save Aladdin."

The room remained silent after that. They were all considering that possibility, Sinbad most of all. The idea of using Al-Thamen's own Magi against them was not wasted on the high king. But if Judal's powers were drastically limited, so where their options. That gem was clearly hindering his potential, but what if that was also suppressing something else. There was a reason the rukh would protect it, removing it may be dangerous after all. Sinbad sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, for now we should wait for him to recover, he'll have to answer a few questions first before we can make a full decision." the others all nodded in agreement, Sinbad and Ja'far left after that, leaving the lady magician to her work.

As night fell once more, Judal stirred before slowly opening his eyes. It was cold, colder than the desert night air. He was lying in a comfortable bed, plush and soft. The room itself was strange, ornately decorated and stacked with books and all sorts of magical devises. Where was this? His body didn't hurt as much as it did before so he tried sitting up. He was stiff and sore, but was at least able to do that.

"You're awake...good." the voice startled the boy, his eyes wide as he turned towards where the voice had come from. Standing near the door was Sinbad. He had returned some time after Yamraiha had gone to bed. Wanting to be the first to confront the boy.

"Who are you?" Judal stared, suspicion creeping across his face slowly, much to the king's surprise.

"You don't recognize me?"

"If I did, I wouldn't have asked who you are old man..."

Sinbad stared, but then chuckled, "I suppose you're right, I apologize," he walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, still facing Judal, "My name is Sinbad." he held out a hand for the boy to shake. But Judal did not return the gesture, instead he seemed to be looking the man over. The rukh around this man was just as strange. They were white but he couldn't help but feel the same unease around this man as he did when he was around Aladdin.

"Where's Ali-what's his face?" Judal chose as his response.

"Alibaba?"

"Yeah, whatever...what did you do with him?" Judal waved a hand dismissively. This man was suspicious so he wanted to get just as many answers out of this man as Sinbad wanted out of him.

"Back in Balbadd, you're in Sindria now, he felt you would be safe here."

Judal scrunched his eyebrows in thought, Sindria? Then it clicked, "Oh! Sinbad? High King of the Seven Seas? That Sinbad?"

The man laughed and nodded, "Yes, that's me."

Judal glared, "Yunan told me about you," the look made Sinbad pause, "You're a powerful king, one that inspires those around him and has gained the loyalty of many...what most would call, the ideal king."

Sinbad did not speak, what sounded like a compliment to most, sounded very much the opposite coming from this child. His look had grown serious, "Is that so?"

"But there's something about you...I don't know what it is, but he had said there was a reason why...despite being a King's Vessel...no Magi has ever allied themselves with you."

"You wanted to..."

Those words made Judal flinch, his glare hardened shortly after, "I'm not a Magi, that Aladdin thought so too," he stated adamantly, "I've never met you before now, and even if I were one I can see now why you have never been chosen!"

Sinbad just shook his head, it truly was amazing, this Judal had no recollection of who he was. It was troubling in its own right. All of the negativity he and his subordinates held against the former Magi now fell upon an innocent child. Fate seemed to be playing a rather sick joke, if this were amnesia than all of those ill feelings could still be justified. But they were dealing with rebirth. Judal died, and was reborn as something else...someone else. The only problem was that he retained everything but his past life memories.

That was it...that's probably what that gem was suppressing. It seemed far to easy for Judal to just be reborn with a clean slate, who he was...all of his powers. There was no real way to completely cleanse him of his darkness. In which case...did this make him...useless?

"So, why are you here...?" Sinbad asked, "Why do you exist now?"

Judal said nothing, there was nothing to say really. His ruby red gaze fell, there was an uncertainty, a sadness even, hidden there. He didn't know, Yunan had told him that fate had a special plan for him but what that plan was, he was never told. He had to have a purpose right? When he woke, he didn't know who he was, where he came from. But, recently he's been finding things that feel familiar. How could that be? That broken dagger in Alibaba's room, the looks on people's faces whenever he introduces himself, and now...the way this man spoke to him.

Combing his hair over his shoulder, though finding his hair clean and soft, and neatly braided, Judal's shoulder's slumped as his head lowered. What hair wasn't braided had fallen in front of his face, hiding the tears that had welled up in his eyes. They could not be concealed though, when they slid down his cheeks and dripped onto the covers. He didn't know...it wasn't fair...why was he alive now? Sensing his distress, some rukh had appeared, fluttering around him in an attempt to console him.

Sinbad simply watched, he had been testing the boy...but it seemed he might have gone too far. Sighing, he stood and ruffled Judal's hair, "Hey, I'm sorry, I went to far so don't cry alright?"

Judal jerked his head away and glared, "You're such an asshole! Stupid king!"

At that, Sinbad just laughed and gave the boy one more ruffle before leaving. Magi or not, somethings never changed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....yeah, due to some personal reasons I had to take an unannounced hiatus. As I'm sure you've all noticed. There were some computer difficulties and a cross-country move thrown in there as well lol...but anyway. I've been keeping up to date with the manga lately, and the various things that have been revealed are sort of helping me plot out how this story is going to end...and is fueling some of my personal theories about what's going to happen hohohoho. I just realized, that I can't even post my crazy conspiracy theories yet because it would spoil the end of this story! OTL

It took Judal three days to fully recover, and by that time the boy had grown restless. He was not allowed to leave his room unless escorted by two other people, everyday necessities were usually brought to him if need be, so many hours were whittled away just staring out the window. It was in moments like these that Judal relied on some of Yunan's teachings. Sitting on the windowsill with his legs crossed and his hands folded neatly in his lap, Judal had his eyes closed. He could recall the many hours spent simply being still, listening to the sound of the world, meditating. The boy hated meditation time....but now he was finding a strange sort of solace in it. 

He could feel rukh moving about, almost hearing their voices. Five or six rukh had actually appeared and were fluttering around both him and occasionally the room. An hour or so had passed and the boy had not moved, the only sign of life was the occasional rise and fall of his chest. There was a knock at the door before Ja'far announced he was entering. As the door opened, the rukh flitted about casually but then disappeared once the freckled man walked in. Ja'far scanned the room and was surprised to find Judal not throwing a tantrum about being bored. The Judal he knew would have surely made a mess before destroying half the wing. 

However, the boy that was now in their care was perfectly behaved....it felt unnatural. Regardless though, Ja'far had come on a mission and he aimed to complete it in a timely manner. He approached silently at first, Judal did not move; again, Ja'far put his skills as an assassin to work. Drawing closer and closer, even going as far as drawing his signature weapon. It took little time to get close enough to position the blade right at the child's throat. He could kill him if he wanted, IF he wanted. Part of him did, but if this Judal proved to be useful then it would be a waste to kill him now. 

It was then that he noticed something, “Sinbad wishes to speak with you,” he said first, “Hey....” the blades were gone now, “I don't have time to deal with your silent tantrums, my king has something important to say...” Ja'far's words faded when he'd placed a hand on Judal's shoulder. Normally physical contact would draw some kind of reaction, but it hadn't. That's when the thing Ja'far thought he'd noticed became very obvious, “Tch...” Ja'far's grip tightened as he shook the dark haired boy.

“Oi, wake up...” 

Judal merely made an indignant grumble before his head lolled to one side, an impressive amount of drool streamed from the corner of his mouth. Apparently in his more upright position, it had pooled but remained otherwise undisturbed until Ja'far moved the boy. Much like disturbing a bowl of water...Ja'far was less than amused, but he gave the boy another shake. The second time gained the reaction that was intended, Judal grumbled again but his eyes opened a second later. Lethargic and a little vexed by the interruption, Judal rubbed at his eyes, muttering incomprehensible words. 

“It's not safe to sleep on windowsills,” the pale haired man commented, “you might fall.” 

“I wasn't...hnn...sleeping,” the boy contested, “I was meditating.” 

“Oh?” Ja'far gave a knowing sneer, “That's not what the drool all over the front of your shirt says.” 

And with that the boy's eyes dropped for a moment before his whole head snapped back up, face glowing a bright red, “S-so what! What do you want anyway?” 

Folding his arms neatly in his sleeves, content with the level of teasing he'd delivered, now it was back to business. Ja'far cleared his throat and then explained that Sinbad wished to speak with him on some important matters. This seemed to surprise the boy, but that child-like look of wonder was short lived before Judal scoffed and turned his nose up. 

“Tell him, he should have thought about that before being an insufferable asshole the other night,” a smug smirk formed, “If he thinks he can get away with that, he's got another thing coming...” 

“I figured you might say something like that,” this time it was Ja'far's head that snapped up, Sinbad had indeed shown up, Judal didn't look thrilled either, “just thought that maybe you would have liked to take a walk outside the palace walls for a change.” the high kings words had drawn identical looks of annoyance, apprehension, and vexed disbelief from Ja'far and Judal. However, neither one seemed to bother the tall man. Instead, he took their temporary silence as an invitation to continue. Smiling just a bit more, Sinbad approached the young Judal with a hand raised. The boy visibly tensed though did not back away.

“We got off on the wrong foot...”

“Ha,” the boy laughed, effectively interrupting whatever Sinbad was preparing to say, “What makes you think I want to hear anything you've got to say? You're keeping me prisoner...”

“You're not a prisoner...” Sinbad stated.

“Could have fooled me,” Judal huffed, “I can't go anywhere without an escort and that's only when I'm ALLOWED to leave this room,” he had taken to pacing the room, is braid had fallen from his shoulder in the process and remained ignored for the time being, “Your watch dog here keeps giving me nasty looks,” Judal shot a pointed glare towards Ja'far, and was rewarded with an uninterested sniff, “did I spit in his breakfast or something?” 

The boy carried on for a good stretch of time, during which Sinbad held his tongue; Ja'far, who was indeed still giving the boy a cold look, had taken up the spot to Sinbad's right. He was looking to his king for instruction, seeing as the man had changed the initial plan without telling him – an occurrence that happened far more frequently than the freckled man would have liked – he wanted to know what the plan was now. Sinbad on the other hand was waiting for Judal to finish. Though silent, the look in his deep golden eyes was a baffled fascination. One Ja'far recognized instantly and drew a prominent roll of the eyes. 

“Don't just stand there staring at me like an idiot...” Judal finally growled, “God, you're so annoying! Stupid king...” the bow scowled, “Stupid face...stupid...agh...” the boy suddenly kicked over a small table in his frustration. He looked confused and still rather angry. His confusion, though, grew the more he tried to figure it out. He didn't know why he was getting this worked up, he'd been fine earlier and while Sinbad was a stupid, annoying bastard, it wasn't as if the man had done anything to annoy him this badly. It almost felt instinctual, as if these feelings already existed but simply lay forgotten until now. And, it was this exact moment that Sinbad was waiting for, he'd had a feeling, one he wanted to test and sure enough. This Judal was very different but he still seemed to possess subdued fragments of his former self. 

“I assure you, our intentions were not hostile,” his attempt at reassuring the boy didn't workk when all he was given was an irate glare, “you've come to us during trying times, our enemies are not as easy to identify as they used to be.” at this, Sinbad had caught Judal's attention, the boy's eyebrows lifting in vague curiosity, to which the king continued...

“Ten years ago we though our enemy was weakened, they had lost a very valuable...” Sinbad paused and considered his words carefully, “asset and with that loss they would have a harder time spreading their evil. However, much to our surprise, nothing had changed. Things hadn't exactly gotten worse either, but the abnormalities in the world still existed. War, famine, strife, poverty....and those people still existed.” 

Judal tilted his head, “Who is this enemy you speak of?” in his travels with Yunan, Judal had indeed seen signs of these...abnormalities, but they didn't seem entirely out of the ordinary. Human's were terrible creatures, Yunan had told him once that humans were the only living creatures that killed for fun. Or something along those lines....but to say that there was some sort of hidden enemy behind all of that? The boy was doubtful. 

Sinbad, again, looked to be considering just how much he was going to tell the boy. There was no way of knowing if anything he said would trigger something. However, Sinbad was never one to let such things get in his way, “Al-Thamen...” he said, eyes focused on the boy's face, waiting to see his reaction. Though, he blinked a second later when Judal just stared at him with a completely unfazed expression. The boy looked as though he were still waiting for him to make the big reveal, though after a moment those large red eyes dulled slightly in realization and diminished interest.

“Al-Thamen?” he asked, “That's the enemy you're fighting against?” 

Leaning back just slightly, a curious sort of smile threatening the corners of Sinbad's lips, “You've never heard of them?” was the follow up inquiry.

“Hmmmn,” rubbing his chin, Judal glanced around the room as he thought about it, mulling the name over in his mind, “dunno....they sound pretty strong if they're giving someone like you a hard time.” Judal smiled at this, and while his intentions were not the least bit hostile now, he had noticed the sudden narrowing of both Ja'far's and Sinbad's eyes. 

“Don't get me wrong, if they're really behind all of this then yeah...I guess stopping them would be a good thing,” the boy gave an idle shrug, he really didn't think he'd get involved in stopping some evil organization, “But I still don't see what that has to do with me, unless there's something you're not telling me.” Judal knew for a fact that there was something he wasn't being told, what it was he couldn't say, but most of the people he's met thus far started walking on eggshells the moment they started talking with him. 

“As I'm sure you are familiar,” Ja'far had been the one to chime in next, “You were attacked by one of our....friends...” 

“You mean that Aladdin guy? That was a friend of yours?!” the boy had visibly tensed, he stared at Ja'far first but then glared at Sinbad, almost accusingly, “So...what?” 

“Let me finish,” the pale man sighed, a note of mild irritation in his tone, “Yes, Aladdin is our friend; however, he had gone to visit the Kou Empire...in an attempt to contact some of our allies...but wasn't seen again until about a year ago. At which time it was very clear that he had fallen into depravity, something none of us ever thought possible. There's also the fact that he's a Magi and having dealt with Al-Thamen's previous Magi...such a being is very...difficult to deal with.” 

Judal had not eased his tension even the slightest, though he listened closely to Ja'far's words. A Magi that has fallen into depravity. Yunan mentioned this depravity concept, when a being curses their fate and goes against the great flow. Oh, that would explain the black rukh! After all, nothing else could logically explain its existence. Tilting his head, eyes closed in thought, a sound akin to a groan escaped the boy. He wasn't really following much more than that, he was still waiting for his involvement in all of this. 

“Sounds like this Al-Thamen went and got themselves a new Magi then....” Judal really looked like he was trying to piece this information together, “The one they had before, that was the asset right? The one that died...” 

Ja'far peered over at Sinbad, though the older man did not return the look. He was still watching the boy very closely. However, after a moment, and when it seemed that was as far as Judal was going to go, the king spoke. 

“That's correct,” he smiled, “So, allow me to be more direct...would you consider using your magoi manipulation to aide us in trying to stop Aladdin? Would you join us in our fight against Al-Thamen and put an end to their darkness?” 

Judal grimaced, he figured it was going to come down to this. Looking perturbed, he just sniffed and looked away. He still hadn't really mastered that ability yet, he could use it sparingly but in the long run....like his encounter with Aladdin....he would be doing himself more damage than anything he could inflict upon the other. Somehow, though, he felt that Sinbad knew this already and was still after him for something else. 

“Why don't you just defeat Aladdin the same way you beat the other Magi?” Judal asked, “Magi are supposed to be really strong right? But you still managed to defeat the other....just do it again.” 

“Well...” Sinbad scratched the side of his cheek, though his so called hesitation didn't appear genuine in the slightest. 

“Don't tell me it's because he's your friend...” Judal scoffed, “If what I remember is correct...and it usually is by the way...if someone has fallen into depravity then there's really no saving them.” 

“There have been a number of times when we've seen someone return from that darkness.” Sinbad replied flatly.

“Oh? And how exactly did you go about doing this? How many of them are still alive today?” the boy almost felt determined to prove Sinbad wrong, he kind of wanted to see the man squirm a little...to break that ugly mask of sincerity. 

“Hm,” Sinbad held his ground, he could see what Judal was trying to do but while the boy was determined he didn't have the same experience now to pull this off effectively, “Aladdin, he has the ability to do so...” there in lied the problem. Aladdin was the only person he knew who could save someone from depravity, with the use of that power. But now that it was Aladdin in that position, could they really save him without killing him? A thought that crossed his mind many times, the answer had yet to present itself, though with Judal...maybe....? 

“Hmmhmm...and how many are still a live?” 

At this, Sinbad smiled, “Just one...” 

Judal nodded slowly, but then started, “What?” he looked up, visibly startled by this, “Someone....survived? Who? That can't be right....” 

Smiling just a bit more, Sinbad simply raised his hand to regain Judal's attention, “Perhaps you'll meet him someday,” he said in a far too cheery tone, “I'm sure you'd get along with this person.” there was no reason to actually answer the question. Judal would figure it out, that much he was certain, “So...what do you say?” 

“Hnng...” Judal scowled again, “If I say no, would you let me go?” 

“Maybe...” 

“Tch...fine...fine! Whatever, it's not like I really had anything else to do...” he'd long since gotten over getting to Balbadd, having over shot it entirely and wound up in Sindria. Besides, that important feeling about the place had disappeared. There was also finding Yunan...though in truth, now he wasn't whole-heartedly inclined to speak with the man. He'd lied to him about things and now the boy felt if he saw the wandering Magi now, he'd be inclined to chop his hair off. 

Pleased, Sinbad stood and motioned to the door, “Wonderful, Ja'far here will escort you to your own room and provide you with some new clothes.” 

“Tch, what's wrong with what I have on?” Judal had also risen and was moving towards the door when he peered down at himself....drool stains, dirt, and all sorts of filth.....the boy bristled, “Hnng...” 

“And maybe a bath as well...” 

Judal perked up suddenly, “About time!”


End file.
